It is official: of the nearly 34,000 hectares of forest lands in 33 blocks within the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) limits, more than 8,300 hectares have been encroached by 12,853 persons. Similarly, in Krishna district limits, of the 49,000 hectares of forest land in the Vijayawada, Mylavaram and Nuzvid range, about 10,000 hectares have been encroached by 16,166 persons.
These facts were revealed by Special Chief Secretary in the Forest Department, A.K. Parida at a review meeting at the Collector’s camp office here on Monday. Addressing the meeting, Mr. Parida said while giving due importance to protecting forests, the district administration should also focus on saving the hilly areas from being encroached.
The encroachment of forest lands in the CRDA limits has now put the State Government in a fix as it is requesting the Central Government to denotify about 60 per cent of the forest blocks in Krishna district for its Amaravati construction project. The Union Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar, who visited Krishna district recently, has promised the State Government that denotification would be done in a time-bound manner.
The Forest Department will now be sending a detailed report to the State Government on the status of lands, including encroached lands in Krishna and CRDA limits.
“The government will now have to take a call on which blocks it will recommend to the Central government for denotification. Once that it is done, the process will gain pace,” said a senior official.
Even before the State Government could step up its efforts for denotification of forest lands, farmers and Left parties have been up in arms against such moves, demanding the Government to scrap the plans.
Farmers are fuming that these plans would leave them in the lurch. “After taking over lands in Thullur, Mr. Naidu is now focusing on forest lands. But we will not part with our lands,” said M. Bishmaiah, a farmer from Sitarampuram village of Nuzvid mandal during a demonstration held at the district forest office a fortnight back.
Farmers from Vissannapeta village alleged that forest officials had even ordered them to vacate their lands. “For the last three months, forest officials have erected barb-wire fences and have instructed farmers to stop cultivation. They have even threatened to cut trees,” said G. Venkateswara Rao, a farmer from the village.
The govt. will now have to take a call on which blocks it will recommend to the Centre for denotification
- Senior forest official
