Sharing its boundary with Odisha, the Udanti-Sitanadi tiger reserve in Chhattisgarh is known for its rich vegetation and forest cover of sal, teak, and bamboo trees.
After joining the tiger reserve in 2022, IFS Varun Jain observed a lack of awareness of wildlife and forest conservation among the local people.
“As the area is Naxal-affected, forest officials would fear going for patrolling. This patrolling gap led to a rise in encroachment and poaching cases,” he shares.
During field visits to the forest, he often saw large charred spots. Giant trees as old as 100 years were burnt down to make huts and farmland. About 30,000 trees were axed from the forest land.
Jain evaluated the area using Google Earth imagery and GPS tracking to find that it was a dense forest before 2008, when a large number of trees were chopped.
IFS Varun informs that the forest cover had reduced from 400 trees per hectare to 40 trees per hectare. “It was necessary to get rid of encroachments,” he adds.
So, the Forest Department issued notices to the dwellers seeking their documents in support of possessing the forest land. But when they did not cooperate, the officials asked them to vacate.
“Carrying eviction drives in this particular area was a big challenge for us. Our teams were attacked twice leading to injuries. My car was burnt down. It was heartbreaking for me to see my own people being beaten,” he says.
The dwellers meanwhile filed petitions at the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, the State Commission for Scheduled Tribes, and the Chhattisgarh High Court against the Forest Department.
However, the judgement was passed in the favour of the Forest Department. In 2023, the High Court disposed of the writ petition of the “encroachers”.
The Chhattisgarh Forest and Climate Change Department also mentioned that with ISRO images, it was evident that the forest land was encroached after 2005 and the documentation of petitioners did not support their claims on the land.
The officer adds how in this past year, as many as 200 encroachers were evicted and at least 600 hectares of forest land was recovered.
“It is our duty to protect our natural heritage. Anyone can plant trees. But as a forest official, if we cannot save a tree, then what is the point of new afforestation drives?” remarks Jain.