HYDERABAD: Trees may have no vote, but encouraging chopping of trees in forests can garner votes in Telangana. Forest officers in various districts trying to check encroachment are coming under attack by locals supported by politicians from across the spectrum who are promising regularisation of encroached forest lands.
Ironically, there have been incidents of TRS leaders encouraging encroachment of forest lands by uprooting saplings planted as part of Telangana ku Haritha Haram afforestation programme. In Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Kothagudem and Paloncha a massive number of 1,05,618 saplings planted under Haritha Haaram have been uprooted to encroach forest lands.
PK Jha, principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden of Telangana, has written to the special chief secretary to environment and forests department recently reads: “....due to statements given by MLAs, MPs and Ministers for Environment, Forests, Science and Technology both in media from time to time that those who had encroached forest lands before the formation of Telangana state will not be evicted, several attempts have been made to encroach the forest lands and obstruct forest officials from retrieving such lands.”