Vizianagaram Forest Officials Reclaim Rs 300 Crore Worth of Encroached Reserve Land
In a significant enforcement action, forest officials in Vizianagaram have successfully recovered approximately 550 acres of reserve forest land, with an estimated value of Rs 300 crore, from illegal encroachers. The encroachers had transformed this protected forest area into their private property, cultivating it extensively over many years.
Massive Land Recovery and Planned Auction
The forest department has assessed the crops grown on the reclaimed land and is planning to auction the yield. This auction is scheduled to take place in the first week of March, marking a crucial step in managing the recovered resources. The recovery operation highlights the persistent efforts of authorities to combat forest encroachment in the region.
Details of the Encroachment
Interestingly, around 31 encroachers occupied an entire forest block spanning 212.06 hectares of reserve forest. This area is located in the Shikaruganji forest beat within the Koduru reserve forest block, situated in Badangi mandal of the Vizianagaram forest range. Forest officials identified this occupation in December last year and subsequently served notices to the encroachers.
District Forest Officer Reddy Kondala Rao issued confiscation orders and erected warning boards three days ago to formalize the recovery. Upon inspection, officials discovered that the encroachers had cultivated various horticultural crops and planted an impressive total of 45,700 trees on the land.
Long-Term Illegal Activities
According to forest officials, the encroachers divided all 550 acres among themselves and cultivated it using an illegal power supply for the past 15 and a half years. The crops included a diverse range of trees such as mango, teak, cashew, red sanders, acacia, and neem. This long-term occupation underscores the challenges in monitoring and protecting forest reserves.
Legal Violations and Additional Recoveries
Vizianagaram Forest Range Officer Birlangi Ram Naresh stated that the encroachers, hailing from villages like Akulakatta, Ramachandrapuram, Brahmanavalasa, and Koduru, occupied the reserve forest illegally. This occupation violates the Andhra Pradesh Forest Act of 1967 and the Forest Protection Act of 1980, which strictly prohibit such activities on reserve forest land.
In addition to this major recovery, forest officials found encroachment in two other locations. One individual from Pedabattivalasa village in Pusapatirega mandal occupied 2.57 acres in the Kumili Reserve Forest, while another 36 acres in Kilurupeta village were occupied, covering an additional 2.47 acres. All these lands have been successfully recovered by the forest officials, demonstrating a comprehensive crackdown on illegal encroachments.
Implications and Future Actions
This large-scale recovery operation not only reclaims valuable forest land but also sends a strong message against illegal encroachment. The planned auction of the horticultural yield will help mitigate some of the ecological and economic impacts caused by the occupation. Forest authorities continue to emphasize the importance of adhering to environmental laws to preserve India's natural heritage for future generations.
