COIMBATORE: In a move to strengthen forest protection and ensure effective patrolling by field-level staff, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has directed District Forest Officers (DFOs) to spend at least 15 days a month in the field.
Head of Forest Force and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) A Udhayan has instructed all District and Divisional Forest Officers to spend at least seven or eight nights a month at anti-poaching camps, forest rest houses or other suitable locations within forest areas.
Though the fresh directive is based on an existing circulars, Udhayan reiterated it soon after taking charge as the head of the department amid concerns that some DFOs were spending more time on administrative work in their offices than and failed to visit the field.
The department has witnessed incidents of tree felling, forest fires and the poaching of tusks from dead elephants and skins of big cats. The directive comes in the wake of the large-scale felling of more than 200 trees in the Kundah Reserve Forest in the Nilgiris Forest Division over the past year. Sources said that such massive tree felling has not occurred in any forest region in the state.
During field visits, officers have been instructed to inspect vulnerable locations, including inter-State reserve forest borders, plantation areas and other sensitive stretches, and review the patrolling activities of field-level staff.
"If DFOs spend more time in the field instead of remaining in offices for administrative work, they can interact with tribal communities and field-level staff and get first-hand information about ground-level issues, including possible attempts at poaching and tree felling. Their presence in the field will also encourage Assistant Conservators of Forests (ACFs), Forest Range Officers (FROs) and Foresters to perform their duties effectively," a DFO said on condition of anonymity.
Another DFO said, "We are ready to strictly follow the directive, but stressed the need for senior officials in Chennai to respond promptly to files seeking approval for projects and funds, as well as proposals for deploying staff to monitor works identified during field visits. We hope the senior officers in Chennai will respond quickly to the files, as Udhayan is now the HOD and is a strict officer. In fact, he introduced the concept of anti-poaching camps in the Mudumalai in Nilgiris district when he was the Field Director there 25 years ago," the DFO said.
However, some DFOs have expressed reservations about the reiteration of the directive, saying that spending seven or eight nights a month inside forests could affect their ability to attend to family responsibilities.
According to the order, Chief Conservators of Forests and Field Directors of Tiger Reserves will monitor and inspect the work assigned to DFOs. Udhayan has also instructed officers to plan field visits on Mondays and Tuesdays and attend online meetings from the field instead of returning to their offices solely to participate in such meetings.
"The DFOs can plan field visits even on Mondays and Tuesdays and attend online meetings from the field. It is not necessary for them to be present in their offices for online meetings, as this has been affecting field work," Udhayan said in the order.