CHHATTISGARH: Today, as we observe the ‘World Wildlife Day’, we hail the contributions of those who have devoted their efforts to safeguarding the vast forest terrain that nurtures our lives. As the menace of encroachment, deforestation and unbridled hunting looms over our green resourses, there are few who have taken it upon themselves to protect the wilderness from the scourge of civilisation.
A 2017-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Varun Jain, who assumed charge as deputy director of the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh in February 2022, was appalled by what he saw; encroachers systematically making their way into the forest, capturing vast areas, while poachers continued to rob the forest of its bounty.
To tighten the noose was the call of the hour. Encroachers had to go. Those extracting natural resources, razing wildlife, had to be dealt with with an iron hand. Illegal wildlife trade, timber smugglers, operating as a nexus in collusion with intruders into the Tiger Reserve via the 125 km porous border with Odisha, the forest officer had his work cut out.
Forest department officials were met with strong resistance and even attacks during anti-encroachment operations. Encroachers turned crafty, installed BR Ambedkar’s bust and billboard in the encroached forested terrain to give a communal flavour in an attempt to elude eviction drive.
The IFS officer countered, setting up boards of his own at encroached sites with Article 48A (to safeguard the forests and wildlife) of the Constitution on them.
Encroachers were served notices by the forest department, asking them to produce relevant documents to substantiate their claims on the forest land. Their claims were examined. Without records to justify their occupation for the past 25-30 years or more, orders were issued to the violators to withdraw from the area. The encroachers then took the last remaining recourse, knocking on the court’s door against the eviction push.
The encroachers approached the high court that gave the verdict in support of the forest department, appreciating the efforts being undertaken as per the rules.
Jain, helped by the National Remote Sensing Centre, one of the key centres of Indian Space Research Organisation in Hyderabad, acquired satellite imageries of 2008-2010 and 2022. Analysis of the images revealed how the loss of forest cover began during 2012 and continued till 2020, with encroachers wiping out vast streches of dense forest.
These images were produced before the court when the encroachers filed a second plea to keep their unjustified hopes alive. The court had initially granted a two-month stay on eviction order, but on reviewing the images and evidence, it concluded that the claims of the illicit occupiers were utterly baseless as encroachment started after 2010-12. The petition was disposed.
Under the leadership of IFS Jain, in four major eviction programmes, as many as 200 encroachers were evicted. This year 30 encroachers including 23 from Odisha were removed from limits of the Tiger Reserves. Over 520 hectares of land was recovered from the illegal grasp.
“The encroachment of forests leads to deforestation, degradation and affects biodiversity. Our aim was to recover as much forest land as possible from the encroachers. Had we not taken tough actions against illegal infringers on forest lands then possibly 20% of forest cover in the region would have been disrupted,” said Jain.
Besides, as part of a major crackdown on illicit hunting, around 115 poachers were arrested in the last six months.
Encroachers not only settled down within forest limits but engaged into the smuggling operations in the area, Wildlife, timber and soil poaching continued as a nexus, a major threat to the region.
With affirmative actions against encroachments and poaching, coupled with awareness, “We have freed nearly 600 hectares forest land in the Tiger Reserve till now”, said Jain.