CC cams to scan forest for red sanders smugglers

Tirupati: The state forest department is planning to set up CC cameras to check activities of red sanders smugglers in Sheshachalam forest area in Chittoor district. Red sander plants are spread in SV National Park area of district.

As is not possible to monitor the dense forest area round-the-clock by personnel, CC cameras are being bought on a large scale to install in the areas where precious wood plants are grown. Seshachalam hills cover most of the SV National Park area forest.

Though the Red Sander Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) personnel are regularly conducting raids, the movement of smuggles, felling of trees and transportation of logs has not come down significantly.

Smugglers from Javadi Malai in Tamil Nadu have intensified their smuggling activities in Sesachalama forest area which spread between Chittoor east, Tirupati wildlife and Rajampeta forest divisions in the last two years. According to information, more than 50 locations in Chamala, Mamandur, Balapalli ranges have been identified as red sanders smuggling-prone areas.

There are many entry and exit points for smugglers in Chittoor east division. Pakala-Chandragiri, Pulicharla-Bhakarapeta areas are favourite spots for smugglers to enter Sheshachalam forest for cutting and smuggling logs. Routes along Tirupati-Pakala railway track are being used by the smugglers to enter the forest.

In this backdrop, state forest officials in Vijayawada directed the Tirupati forest officials to avail the technical support of Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) in procuring and installing CC cameras in the vantage points in the forest to monitor the activities of red sanders smugglers.

Accordingly, a technical team reached Tirupati from Vijayawada and conducted a survey to identify suitable places for installing CC cameras. In the vicinity of Tirupati, Krakambadi village forest officials have identified a few key entry points for smugglers. Jeevakona, Bhupal Housing Colony, BT R Nagar, behind the LIC Training Centre have been identified as most vulnerable in terms of red sanders smuggling. Large amount of precious wood is suspected to be transported in cars, mini trucks and lorries.

Officials are considering to fix night vision lens CC cameras to clearly watch the smugglers’ movements before their entry into the forest. All the CC cameras would be linked to AP forest head office control room from where officials concerned would alert the local forest personnel when they find the movements of smugglers through CC cameras.

Tirupati forest division divisional forest officer (DFO), wild life management, M Nagarjuna Reddy told The Hans India that the state government had sanctioned Rs 70 lakh to purchase the CC cameras for surveillance on red sanders smugglers.

“We have to spend the these funds before March 2019 to procure the high-end CC cameras with the technical support of RTGS team. In the first phase, CC camera surveillance will be done only from the CM office of RTGS and forest headquarters,” he said.