Details

Written by: JK Monitor News Network

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 21 July 2023

PULWAMA: In view of the recent firing incident  by unknown gunmen on the forest patrolling team  of Forest Department in Pulwama District and subsequent death of one Forest worker and injuries to another Forest officer, the Forest Department has launched massive patrolling and  search operations in all forests of Pulwama and intensified surveillance in town areas.

At sunrise itself, large number of  Joint Forest teams comprising  of hundreds of  personnel of Forest Territorial Department and Forest Protection Force, Shopian directly led by Conservator of Forests (CoF) South Kashmir, Irfan Ali Shah conducted  joint flag marches  in Forests of Pakherpora, Sangerwani, Keller, Gulabteng, Yarwan and  Kehroot. 

Deputy Director, Forest Protection Force Shopian Muneer Ahmad; DFO Shopian, Ayoub Sheikh and Range officers, Assistant Directors Forest Protection Force and other senior officers participated in these operations.

The department has since two days intensified checking of suspected vehicles in Pulwama and connecting roads and set up night nakas as well in Newa, Murran, Rohmoo, Tokna, Lajoora, Awantipora and Qouil. Forest Department officials also raided and checked many bandsaw units in Kakapora area for any illicit timber.

The CoF has directed Forest officials to take all possible measures for ensuring strengthening of the Forest protection network including functioning of Forest Control Rooms, increasing mobility of frontline staff, joint patrolling with FPF personnel, increase in frequency of monitoring by field staff and reporting by them. 

He further directed the concerned DFO to file dossiers under Public Safety Act (PSA) in case of habitual offenders and their supporters. He directed forest officials that no mercy should be shown to forest offenders irrespective of their affiliations, age, gender or any connects. 

The CoF informed  that measures like strengthening of joint patrolling by territorial and FPF personnel and use of troop carriers of FPF for ensuring safety of forests, its assets and its employees has been  taken up immediately.

The CoF said that intelligence gathering and sharing between different agencies including local army units, J&K Police and Forest Protection Force with respect to forest offences  in Pulwama is being  done for better forest protection . He further said that forest department  has already lodged 23  PSAs against forest damagers involving  more than 30 culprits who have been booked and put behind bars. Besides large number of court challans have also been filed during last two years.

The CoF alongwith Senior Forest officers also visited the family of Forest worker at Monoo, Pakherpora, Budgam who was martyred by unknown gunmen  while performing Forest Protection duties in Bagandar Forests near Sangerwani. He expressed deep pain and anguish over the unfortunate killing of a young forest official and pledged full support for the family of the Forest martyr.