5 Illegal structures on forestland razed

Nurpur, December 24

A team of the Forest Department, led by Range Officer Shahipal, demolished two pucca shops and three cowsheds built on forestland near the Pathankot-Mandi national highway at Khushinagar near here on Thursday.

Before demolishing these illegal structures with a JCB machine, the Forest Department demarcated the forestland. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Nurpur, Amit Sharma said that the department had received complaints of these illegal constructions but demolition was possible only after the forestland was demarcated.

He said that the demarcation exercise was conducted in two days by the department’s field staff. After identifying encroachments in Gahin-Lagor forest, the department removed the structures without any resistance from encroachers, he added.