Phulbani: Green cover in Khajuripada and Phulbani forest ranges in Kandhamal district has been depleting fast with timber mafia carting away trees with impunity. Besides, a pangolin smuggling racket has been active in the region, sources said adding that the Forest department is doing little to check the illegal tree felling. It was alleged that the Forest department has failed to seize timbers smuggled away from various parts of the two ranges.
On the other hand, Forest officials have preoccupied themselves with keeping tabs on pangolin smuggling and taken credit on busting its rackets while timber smugglers have been plundering the sylvan wealth at their will. It was learnt that in the last four days, Forest officials have seized 565 scales of pangolins in Khajuripada area, pointing to the fact that poaching of these endangered reptile species is going on in the forested pockets. Some officials had allegedly tried to hush up the seizure of the pangolin scales and secretly settle the issue.
After media reports about it, the Forest officials had no way but to register a case under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act and arrested four people involved in it. Timber smuggling is also rampant in Phulbani range where valuable species of trees have been carted away.
Besides, many sal trees alongside the Phulbani-Gochhapada main road have been cut down. It was suspected that it was the handiwork of some land sharks who have been grabbing forest and government lands by clearing trees. The land mafia is selling the lands, but neither the Forest nor the Revenue department has taken any step to check such illegal activities.
Locals alleged that all such activities are happening in the knowledge of some Forest officials. Local residents demanded that the Forest department take up proactive measures to check timber and pangolin smuggling in the two ranges.