Tirupati: Counter strategy to curb Red Sander smuggling

Tirupati: To effectively retaliate the Red Sanders smugglers activity in Seshachalam forest Tirupati wildlife division officials strengthened the wireless communication network. As part of their new strategy the forest department took few measures to effectively curb the red sander smuggling activities in Seshachalam forest.

It may be noted that red sanders dense forest fall in around 1.5 lakh hectares on Seshachalam hills. Previously forest staff used to face many problems to reach one location to another location in deep forest for raiding on RS smugglers. And also very tough to communicate headquarters for additional forces during the raiding, some times cellphone signals were not available to call the higher officials. Especially this problem is arising at Papavinasanam, Talakona, Mamanduru, Ballapalle and Chamala, YerravariPalem and some inside locations of the forest.

To overcome these problems Tirupati wildlife division DFO Nagarjuna Reddy initiated the measures that provided wireless communication sets to all the field staff up to forest beat officers. And supplied mobile phones to staff concerned. With this effort monitoring of the forest staff surveillance activity was improved and communication reached in time to higher officials to take decisions in crucial situations during RS smuggling. In addition, DFO has taken steps for laying gravel roads widely from Mamanduru section to Chamala range via connecting Tirumala surroundings in deep forest. Already laying of few roads was completed. It also yielded good results in reducing the smugglers movement in dense forest.

And also to create awareness among the people a forest museum was started on the way to Tirumala at 7 th mile of the footpath. This is also attracting many people to know about RS trees value and how the forest department is protecting the RS trees in Seshachalam hills. One more important thing is that WLM officials developed various watch towers to keep the eye on smugglers movements in the forest as well as prevent fire accidents too. In every range official erected towers as part of forest protection measures.

In this connection, DFO Nagaruna Reddy told The Hans India that " Our staff are continuously going rounds in the forest to know what happened in deep forest, sometimes they notice smugglers movement during that time they have to communicate to headquarters for further action, in view of that we have provide wireless communication sets to all field staff concerned. And also took up gravel roads construction to reach easily in deep forest one point to another point when the need".