Joda: Vigilant villagers of Kolharaida on the outskirts of Joda foiled timber smuggling from Roida jungle Monday
The residents of Camp Hutting in Kolharaida raided the jungle and seized over 152 sal trunks dumped at a place for smuggling. They brought the timber back to the village and kept it on a school premises.
The villagers risked their lives in seizing the timber as the smugglers often drive them away by brandishing pistols and sharp-edged weapons.
However, the forest officials, who seem clueless about the smuggling, are yet to come to their help.
Villagers Jagannath Gop, Bir Singh Munda, Kishore Patra and Sanjit Nayak alleged that timber smuggling is rampant in Roida jungle. The smugglers carry out the illegal activity with support from some unemployed youths of the area.
They lure the youths with money and chop off precious trees like sal from the jungle. Later, they dump the logs at a place and smuggle it in trucks at an appropriate time to escape the attention of forest officials.
The mafia smuggles the timber on the pretext of using it in house construction. The forest officials are yet to take any action to stop the illegal activities.
The villagers have lodged complaints with the Guali forester but their pleas are yet to be addressed, Pintu Karua and Bir Singh Munda said. They alleged many a times they have handed over timber to forest officials but the latter sell them in nearby villages take no action against the wrongdoers. The Guali forester could not be contacted.
Keonjhar divisional forest officer Santosh Joshi said he will send the Barbil forest ranger to the spot to verify the villagers’ claim of timber smuggling.
PNN