Dehradun, January 22
The forest wealth of Uttarkahand is being systematically denuded due to large-scale illegal felling. Areas known for dense green trees today wear a patchy look of barren earth. The gravest challenge to the green Uttarakhand comes from the growing influence of the land mafia and their nexus with the civil administration and forest officials.

As if the Gajana forest felling incident of Tehri in November last followed by uprooting of trees in the Chamba fruit belt were not enough, comes the news of another green area, fruit trees alongside the Mussoorie-Yamunotri highway, facing the builder’s axe. This felling and uprooting of trees allegedly for carving out plots has come as a rude shock for the state.

The forest-predominant Uttarakhand faces the gravest of challenges in the form of its fast-eroding greenery under the growing influence of the land mafia, civil administration and forest officials nexus.

The biggest threat comes to the Chamba-Mussoorie fruit belt that has seen large-scale felling of trees for facilitating constructions in recent times. This fruit belt has been the region’s pride as it was envisaged way back in the late seventies on the pattern of Himachal orchards. The then forest authorities had given the land on lease to the horticulture department that subsequently gave it to the district administration to be provided on lease to farmers.

But with changing times, the very purpose of this fruit belt, that once had a vast expanse of oak trees, has been defeated. Today, this fruit belt is a witness to unlawful constructions by the high and mighty. Dhanolti MLA Kazan Das admitted that large-scale unlawful constructions were eating into the fruit belt.

“I am much concerned at these constructions in the fruit belt and have raised this issue in the assembly,” he said. He said he had been receiving complaints on unlawful structures and had taken up the issue with the administration.

After much hue and cry by the locals, the district recently ordered a probe in the matter. “There are over 411 mini fruit belts in the region and we have already ordered for a probe into alleged cases of felling of trees in these belts,” Saujanya, District Magistrate, Tehri, said.

Only a month back, the Gajana tree felling had come as a shocker. The incident that involved felling of 1,116 pine trees shook the Chief Minister and the government suspended senior officers in the case.

These trees were axed on the outskirts of the New Tehri township by a private developer in connivance with forest officials. HK Singh, District Forest Officer, Tehri, Rajinder Singh Khaira, Sub-Divisional Officer, and Brijesh Srivastava, ranger, were among those suspended.

HK Singh has been attached to the Forest Training Institute, Haldwani. Earlier, a deputy ranger and a forest guard, were also suspended.

More than a 1,000 green pine trees were felled by Virender Singh, alias Pappu Sajwan, a private developer, to built a housing colony in Gajana near New Tehri. Senior forest officials and their kin had taken land in the proposed colony.

But the probe now seems to be progressing at a snail’s pace. Uttarakhand Chief Wild Life Warden S Chandola who had been entrusted with the task of initial probe, has already submitted its preliminary report. But after submitting preliminary report, the forest officials are yet to come up with the final probe and fix responsibility.The involvement of kin of some top Uttarakhand forest officials has made the task much difficult.

The forest officials accuse the civil administration of having done little in the matter. The forest officials have expressed resentment over the “one-sided” portrayal of the Gajana incident. Shortly after the Gajana incident, Principal Chief Conservator RBS Rawat had asked the revenue officials to act on the matter without delay and “punish the guilty.”

“A total 1,116 pine trees were felled in Gajana. Out of these 95 were on the reserve forest land; the rest were on private and revenue land. The forest department alone took the matter seriously and suspended its officials, including a DFO-level officer,” a senior forest official pointed out.

Uttarakhand in the recent years has been helpless in protecting its rich tree cover. Starting from Dehradun, trees have been felled by those in land business in order to make a quick buck.

The felling of hundreds of trees for construction of apartments in Luxmi and Curzon road areas of Dalanwala are fresh in public memory.

The developers, taking advantage of loopholes in the system, have been resorting to large-scale felling.

Kayan Singh Rawat, who has been at the forefront in efforts to save the green environs of Dehradun, calls for more determination and will on the part of enforcment agencies to curb the unlawful felling of trees.

Uttarakhand that once an example to the world in tree protection through the famous Chipko Movement today is on crossroads with the land mafia forest officials nexus getting stronger, and stronger.

Mussoorie, January, 22
The increasing population of stray dogs has become a menace for local residents. Packs of stray dogs create a nuisance for the people, especially early morning and late in the night. Although the municipal authorities have initiated steps to take relocate the dogs, locals feel that more needs to be done.

Stray dogs are seen loitering around the famous Mall Road. Morning walkers are the worst-affected. “With so many stray canines, we feel threatened,” says Ram Prasad.

“I have started carrying a stick to ward them off, but they are so many that I feel intimidated,”says Sunil.

A number of people have given up on morning walk and venturing out alone. “We now go in groups of two or three for the morning walks,” Ram Prasad said.

Nitish Mohan Aggarwal says the children are especially vulnerable to being bitten by the dogs. “We are glad that the schools are closed for the winter vacation and children remain mostly indoors,” he added.

The residents also face the problem of sanitation with dog excreta strewn on roads. “The dogs have made roads extremely dirty,” complains Feroz Ali, a hotelier.

Although, recently the Nagar Palika initiated a drive to catch stray dogs and shift them to a animal care centre in Dehradun, the locals remain skeptical. It is believed that these efforts are a mere eyewash and are unlikely to prove sustainable in the long run. The authorities had initiated a similar drive to capture monkeys and relocate them outside the town. The drive was a flop.