SRINAGAR: Forest Department today removed encroachments on forest areas in Khag and Mattan Forests. The Forest Encroachment Eviction drive was carried out in Compartment Nos S 25/S26 near Shinglipora, Khag forests of SPSP Forest Range by the forest officials of Special Forest Division, Tangmarg with the active assistance of Forest Protection Force (FPF) personnel of Gamma unit Tangmarg. About 40 Kanals of encroached forest land were retrieved from the encroachers in the operation. Despite stiff resistance from some locals, the operation was carried out successfully.
In another operation Joint teams of forest officials of Block Logripora assisted by Forest Control Room, Mattan retrieved about 30 kanals of forest land from encroachers in Compartment No 18L of Range Mattan. Forest Territorial Department has intensified its anti-Encroachment operations in Kashmir forests since last few weeks. Five major eviction drives have been carried out by the Department in the last one week alone in Kashmir Region and retrieved hundreds of kanals of illegally occupied forest land.