CM asks officials to act tough against wood smuggling

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao said, that, under any circumstances the wood smuggling in Telangana State forests area shall be brought down to Zero.

The Chief Minister instructed the forest officials to take support from the police and with iron hand, the PD Act should be revoked wherever necessary on smugglers who frequently indulge in smuggling forests wood. He also instructed that however influenced might be the wood smugglers and what ever political party they belong action should be initiated against them. He said, that, the state shall be divided into four parts and action plan should be drawn for environmental protection. He suggested that an action plan should be evolved on crores of plantation of saplingsthroughout state, forest rejuvenation, greenery development in and around Hyderabad city and control of wood smuggling.

KCR held a review meeting on Environment protection and development of forest area on Monday in Pragathi Bhavan. Home Minister Mahamood Ali, Chief Advisor to Government Rajiv Sharma, Advisor Anurag Sharma, Chief Secretary SK Joshi, DGP Mahender Reddy, PCCF SK Jha, Senior officers S. Narsing Rao, Rama Krishna Rao, Rajiv Trivedi, Niranjan Rao, Smita Sabarwal, Rajashekhar Reddy, Bhoopal Reddy, Prinyanka Verghese and Senior Police and Forest officials participated in the meeting.

“Trees are grown naturally in the forest areas. The maximum greenery is available through forest only. If these forests disappear slowly there is no use in taking up programmes like Haritha haram. Protection of forests means protection of greenery. Due to forest wood smuggling, the forests face lot of problems in some parts of the state forest areas the wood smuggling is rampant. For some people wood smuggling has become a profession. Such of these people and the areas where they involve in smuggling are to be identified. There committed forest officials should be deployed. By taking the help of police, forest officials should develop an action plan.

Taking the support of armed police teams smuggling should be brought down to Zero. Who ever is indulged in wood smuggling shall not be tolerated. Stringent action shall be initiated against them. If any officer of the department who supports smuggling shall be identified and action should be taken against them. Any political leader from any party if indulges in wood smuggling should not be left out without action. If any TRS leader indulge in wood smuggling action should be taken against them also. Earlier on the pretext that due to Naxalites the officials were unable to go deep into the forests and now there isno such problem. Let the officers work with the commitment with the objective to protect forests. Police and forest officials should hold a joint meeting and develop an action plan to control smuggling” said the CM.

The Chief Minister said that forest officials frequently confess that they would provide any quantity of wood to certain influential people when they construct their houses. He said that this is possible due to illegal felling of the forests and such an activity should be done away. He also said that the management of sawmills also regularised and no fresh licences to be issued to new saw mills. He suggested that along with forest protection rejuvenation of forests to substitute the loss due to forest felling should also be taken up. Root stock should be made use of while rejuvenating the forests. He said that more than the social forestry it is easier to develop forests in forest area.

“The number of saplings to be planted as part of Telanganaku Haritha haram should be increased year after year. During the next monsoon 100 Crore of saplings should be planted. Action plan for this should be developed," said the CM.

“In Hyderabad Metropolitan Developmen tArea 1,50,000 acres of forests blocks. However, there is no forests in that. In these blocks large scale plantation should be done. In the country capital New Delhi there is lot of air pollution which is due to lack of trees and due to vehicle pollution. In Hyderabad also, the number of vehicles is increasing day by day. Correspondingly the pollution is also increasing to avoid this the only solution is growing trees,every park and every forest block massive plantation should take place. Around Hyderabad by the end of next three years there shall be a feeling to the people that they are living in a forest area. Form as many walking clubs as possible” said the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister said that there was no dearth of funds and funds can be drawn from CAMPA, MGNREGA, budgetary provision and funds from municipalities.