Remote sensing to monitor forest encroachments

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 17

After starting the cancellation of illegal entries on forest land, the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory (UT) is using remote sensing technology and geographical information system (GIS) to prepare vulnerability maps in all 30 forest divisions to track encroachments and map forest fire susceptible zones.

Officials said the exercise had been started soon after the abrogation of Article 370 and the step was aimed at preventing destruction of forests due to human intervention.

The encroachment of forests, especially in the Jammu division, has reached an alarming situation with hundreds of acres being illegally entered in the revenue records as private land. The plan will cover the Shivaliks, Pir Panjal range and the high Himalayan mountains in Kashmir.

“We will soon come up with a separate mobile application to track everything in real time. Using remote sensing and other technical methods, we can keep a check on forest fires and any possible changes due to human activity,” said Mohit Gera, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.

The erstwhile state government had admitted in the Legislative Assembly that more than 20,000 hectares of forest land were under illegal occupation. As many as 15,000 hectares alone have been encroached upon in the Jammu region.

“Despite clear rules that the revenue department will not enter any girdawari of forest land, thousands of kanals have been illegally allowed during the erstwhile state governments. The problem arises in the court, where the revenue records are considered authentic,” said a senior official.

The land mafia usually adopts two ways for encroachments. First, villagers living near forests for generations begin cultivation and then with the help of corrupt revenue department officials change the land use. Second, nomadic Gujjar and Bakerwal families are invited to stay at a particular place and allowed to raise structures, changing the land use. This method is mainly adopted in Jammu, were hundreds of kanals of forest land have been encroached upon.

Environmental activist Amarvir Singh Manhas said, “Much is being talked about saving our green gold but so far, a majority of the plans have remained only on paper due to the political pressure. It has to been seen how serious the new J&K UT administration is.”

Saving green cover

• Officials said the exercise had been started soon after the abrogation of Article 370 and the step was aimed at preventing destruction of forests due to human intervention
• The encroachment of forests, especially in the Jammu division, has reached an alarming situation with hundreds of acres being illegally entered in the revenue records as private land. The plan will cover the Shivaliks, Pir Panjal range and the high Himalayan mountains in Kashmir

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