SRINAGAR: The State’s Forest Department today retrieved 60 kanals of forest land from encroachers in Compartment No.45.NH and 46/NH in Kichhama forests of Kehmil Forest Division. A team led by Naihari Range Officer was attacked by encroachers with stones. They offered stiff resistance but the forest officials remained undeterred and successfully freed the land from encraochment.
Divisional Forest Officer, Kehmil said the Conservator of Forests, North Circle has given explicit directions to all the Divisional Forest Officers of North Circle to continue the forest land retrieval drives with renewed vigour and there should be no let up till the entire encroached forest land is retrieved. He said Forest Territorial Department has intensified its anti encroachment operations in Kashmir forests during which major eviction drives have been carried out by the Department in the last few weeks and retrieved hundreds of kanals of illegally occupied forest land from encroachers.