The state Forest Department has failed to fill long-pending vacancies for field personnel, who play a crucial role in preventing forest fires, curbing the theft of forest wealth, checking illegal felling of trees and stopping the smuggling of forest produce in the interstate border district of Nurpur.
According to information, the Nurpur Forest Division is grappling with a severe shortage of field staff, with 32 posts of forest guards and 13 posts of deputy forest rangers lying vacant for a long time. Despite these vacancies, the division has intensified patrolling and surveillance to curb the unauthorised transportation and smuggling of forest produce out of the state over the past three months.
Sandeep Kohli, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Nurpur, acknowledged the shortage of field personnel required for effective surveillance and patrolling to check forest offences. Speaking to The Tribune, he said that despite the staff constraints, the department had seized more than a dozen vehicles involved in the illegal transportation and smuggling of forest produce without valid documents during the past three months. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the offenders under Section 52A of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, before the Authorised Officer-cum-DFO, Nurpur.
He said being an interstate border district, the Nurpur Forest Division remains vulnerable to the movement of illegally transported forest produce from adjoining areas. However, the DFO claims that the Forest Department with its existing constraints of field staff vacancies is vigilant in vulnerable areas in coordination with police and local administration. He added that local communities also have to play a significant role in curbing these illegal activities of thefts and smuggling of forest wealth.
The DFO appealed to the public to cooperate with the department and report any information related to illegal tree felling or the smuggling of forest produce in their area so that effective conservation and protection of forest resources can be ensured.
