Some awareness, but no end to tree- fellings

Weeping trees

The cement sculpture of weeping trees that was set up at Utnoor- Indhanpalli crossroads in Kadam mandal to create awareness against indiscriminate felling trees by the wood smugglers and sometimes citizens was symbolic of the reality in the forests in Adilabad district.

The forest department set up the sculpture to create awareness among the people especially children, youth, and tourists who visit the Kawal tiger area or pass through that area.

The sculpture depicts the not only feelings of the trees but also the mood of the people and people involved as far as the indiscriminate felling of trees is concerned even in the Kawal tiger reserve.

Poaching and indiscriminate felling of the tree are taking place even today despite the efforts made by the forest officials to control them.

According to a forest official, as many as 2,823 cases were booked in connection with forest crime, wood smuggling, and felling of trees. Rs 205.5 lakh was collected as fine and 193 vehicles were seized used for the illegal transportation of teak and other wood from last year till March 2016.

A forests officer on condition of anonymity said they get phone calls from political leaders asking them to not to file cases when they caught wood smugglers, Its speaks volumes of the political patronage to the wood smugglers. Sometimes corrupt forests and police officials are also in glove with the wood smugglers.           

Statistics shows that rampant tree felling which is going on in the district including Kawal trigger reserve. This especially true of  Ichoda, Indravelli, Khanapur, Jannaram and Kadam mandals. Some of the parts of these mandals come into the Tiger reserve.

The forest department took the serious note of indiscriminate felling of trees and summing activity by the habitual offenders popularly known as Multhanis who are considered as tribals of Pakistan, who migrated to this area, and settled in deep forests in Ichoda mandal long back.

Now, Multhanis have become vote bank to all the political parties who have started extending indirect support to this community people some political leaders are even backing their illegal teak wood smuggling .

Surprisingly, during a counseling meeting held a few months ago, Multhani community leaders alleged that some forest and police officials forced them to do the teak wood smuggling and extended their support to their activity. This clearly exposed the nexus between the Multhani’s and some of the forest and police officials.

It is surprising to see that there was no development among the Multhani families residing in Gundala and Keshavapatnam villages in Ichoda mandal. Forests officials booking cases under PD Act against the wood smugglers and have been demanding the state government to give weapons to fight against the wood smugglers citing incidents of forests staff that lost their lives at the hands of wood smugglers in recent years in the district.