NILGIRIS: Forest department personnel who have been entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding forest wealth have turned into violators and are allegedly involved in illegally axing and smuggling trees.
In a disturbing incident, more than 200 trees were allegedly cut in the Kundha Reserve Forest falling under the Nilgiris Forest Division. The large-scale felling came to light after a newly-appointed forest guard, during an inspection of his beat, noticed the loss of green cover and informed the Range Officer, who in turn reported the matter to Nilgiris Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Kashyap Shashank Ravi.
Following the report, the DFO constituted a committee headed by Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Kirubakaran to conduct a field inquiry and submit a report, as directed by Conservator of Forests, Nilgiris, and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) Field Director R Kirubashankar.
The inquiry revealed that fully grown wattle (acacia) and blue gum (eucalyptus globulus) trees had been felled over nearly 1,500 hectares in the Thaisholai forest beat of the range. Preliminary findings indicated that the illegal activity had allegedly continued for more than a year.
According to sources, the felled timber was allegedly used as fuel in tea factories for tea manufacturing and for domestic purposes, with the forest personnel involved allegedly making illegal gains.
A senior forest department official told TNIE that the recently transferred forest guard posted to the Thaisholai beat found numerous tree stumps during his inspection, exposing the large-scale illegal felling. Sources said disciplinary proceedings under Rule 17 (b) of the TN Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules have been initiated against the then Range Officer, forester and forest guard concerned.
