Hyderabad: Principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) P.K. Jha on Friday directed officers of the department to be alert and stop timber smugglers before they fell trees in the forests. Mr Jha organised a video conference with all forest officials in the state wherein he suggested several measures to protect the forest from smugglers.
“The Chief Minister’s policy is very clear that felling of trees in forests must stop completely. Officials of the department have to be more alert and proactive.
There should be an eye on habitual offenders and we must ensure that they are punished. The department is roping in around 2,000 new employees. They must be given proper training about protection of forests. Base camps should be set up in each forest segment for the staff to stay and conduct night patrolling,” Mr Jha said.
During the video conference, PCCF P. Raghuveer said that all stake holders should work for the protection of forests. “Ever since the special drive to protect forests from smugglers began, officials have seized huge quantity of timber. It is the responsibility of the officers to ensure that the saw mills maintain a record of the timber that arrives.”
