Vikarabad forest officials retrieve 200 acres of encroached land in Pargi range

Forest Department officials have launched a major damage-control exercise to retrieve nearly 200 acres of encroached forest land in the Pargi range and Damagundam reserve forest of Vikarabad district. Following years of unchecked deforestation that accelerated around 2022-23, authorities have recently begun reclaiming the land, booking cases, and arresting violators to secure the ecologically sensitive zone.

Close to 200 acres of thick forest were cleared in the Pargi range of Vikarabad district alone, primarily by existing farmers who extended their agricultural fields into the forest area. Because these are recent encroachments, officials stated that claiming the land back has been relatively hassle-free. Entire forest blocks adjacent to villages bordering Karnataka were allegedly erased with impunity after the Telangana government announced its 'Podu' policy around 2022-23.

For years, satellite alerts regarding changes in tree cover were ignored by foresters. However, a report in The Hindu about the encroachment of forest land in Damagundam alerted higher authorities. Following this, the Vikarabad District Forest Officer was transferred, and the District Forest Officer of Ranga Reddy was given charge.

Under the temporary administration, field-level officials began taking the satellite alerts seriously. Authorities identified about 80 instances of encroachment and have booked 20 cases so far. An eight-acre encroachment highlighted in the news report has now been secured, and the violator has been sent to remand.

The secured eight-acre plot is located within a 361-acre block that was mandated to be fenced off as a precondition for Stage-II forest clearance for the Eastern Naval Command's Very Low Frequency (VLF) Radar station project. Navy authorities were previously unable to complete the fencing due to objections and protests by encroachers. With these hurdles removed, officials plan to review the situation and start the fencing work soon.

Forest Department officials plan to use the retrieved land for compensatory afforestation in lieu of the land taken for the VLF project. One of the conditions for the project clearance is compensatory afforestation across 2,348 hectares (5,800 acres) of degraded forest land. This work is expected to gain momentum under the newly appointed District Forest Officer, Vishal Battula.