6 hectares of forest land freed of encroachments in Nurpur

The Forest Department yesterday removed 13 encroachments from the un-demarcated forest land at Talara in the Fatehpur forest range of the Nurpur forest division and freed 6 hectares of land from illegal possession.

As per information, the forest land remained encroached for the past 30 years. The field staff had apparently failed to initiate proceedings against the land grabbers. Local residents had complained on the Chief Minister’s Helpline seeking the eviction of the encroachers from the forest land.

The field staff of the Forest Department yesterday removed encroachments with a JCB machine. They dismantled kutcha and pucca paths on the land and also took possession of a temple constructed by the encroachers. There was no resistance from anyone as the department removed encroachments.

Nurpur DFO Amit Sharma said the encroached forest land was being used for agriculture purposes. He said the department would soon fence the land and plant tree saplings at the place.

The DFO admitted that no file had been prepared to evict the encroachers and the field staff had conducted an inquiry along with the demarcation of the encroached forest land.

He appealed to people who had encroached forest land in other area of the Nurpur forest division to give up illegal possession or else the department would initiate action against them.