Hyderabad: Forest dept refutes charge of snatching lands from tribals

Hyderabad: The State Forest Department on Saturday denied charges that it is trying to encroach onto the Podu lands and depriving the tribal people's rights over their lands.

Responding to several allegations, the department said that it is only trying to stop fresh encroachments of Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR).

It said that the land it tried to protect falls within the tiger reserve and there is no cultivation exists and it is a complete forest area. Further, there was an attempt made by the villagers in 2009 to enrich the area. Also, the villagers of Koyaposhaguda have started clearing forests since November 2021. But, it was stopped for a few months in between with the continuous counselling from the Forest department.

However, again enforcement started in May 2022 by involving only women and a huge number of trees were felled and the forest area was cleared. Forest officials at different levels visited the site and urged the villagers to clear the site as it does not come under the Scheduled Tribes & Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (RoFR) Act, 2006 (RoFR) purview,

The Project Officer of the ITDA, Forest Division Officer, Revenue Divisional Officer, Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Forest Range Officers and Circle Inspector tried to reason with the tribal people on the issue.

However, "they are not in a position to listen any as the many political parties are supporting and gaining the advantage of the issue. Also, some Adivasi federations are supporting them," it said.

This is making the villagers, not in a position to leave the area. The department said that the people in the area have their houses at Koyaposhguda village just adjoin to the forest. It alleged that the villagers erected huts in the forest area in question only a few days back as a part of encroachment. That apart, the people have brought children to the forest site into the newly erected huts to gain sympathy.

Several times the forest and revenue officials have urged them to vacate the forest area as it falls under KTR and will pose a threat to them from the wildlife too.

As the pleas yielded no results, the police and the forest officials removed the huts from the area for the past two days.

Resisting the same, the villagers threw chilli powder, and beat the staff with sticks and also threw stones at them causing injuries. That apart, the villagers also damaged a government jeep in Tadlpet range while on duty. It clarified that there was no assault from the staff of the department and it was only the villages who have assaulted the staff, it alleged.