BALASORE: Police on Saturday conducted raids and sealed four illegal sawmills in Bhograi and Baliapal blocks in the district. The owners have also been detained in the connection.
The action was taken on the basis of a news report on illegal sawmills flourishing under the administration’s nose published in The New Indian Express on Saturday.
Balasore SP Jugal Kishore Kumar Banoth said Sukumar Jena of Deula, Rajendra Sahu of Chandisinghpur, Atul Sahu of Jagannathpur and Padmalochan Samantray of Khadgapal have been detained for running the mills illegally.
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On the directions of the SP, a special police team conducted raids at several places and sealed three units at Bhograi and one at Baliapal block.
The illegal sawmills have encouraged rampant felling of trees in the region by the timber mafia. The banks of Subarnarekha river, areas along the Bay and Bengal and forests in the district were once replete with trees of several varieties such as mango, Indian blackberry, jackfruit, casuarina and neem.
However, the rich forest cover of the district is on the verge of becoming extinct due to relentless felling of trees by timber mafia.
Sudarshan Das, a social activist from Jaleswar, said timber mafia has become emboldened by the absence of action by authorities concerned. Their utter disregard for law is evident from the fact that several truckloads of wooden logs are transported from the district to neighbouring West Bengal every day.
The timber mafia use the second bridge on Subarnarekha river to smuggle wood from the district. Balasore DFO Biswaraj Panda had said 10 sawmills have permission to operate in the district. They are functioning from Samnathpur and Bamapada.