Srinagar, July 21: In view of the recent firing incident by unknown gunmen on the forest patrolling team of Forest Department in Pulwama District and subsequent death of one Forest worker and injuries to another Forest Officer, the Forest Department launched massive patrolling and search operations in all forests of Pulwama and intensified surveillance in town areas.
At sunrise itself, large number of Joint Forest teams comprising of hundreds of personnel of Forest Territorial Department and Forest Protection Force, Shopian directly led by Conservator of Forests, South Kashmir Irfan Ali Shah, conducted joint flag marches in Forests of Pakherpora, Sangerwani, Keller, Gulabteng, Yarwan and Kehroot. DFO Shopian Ayoub Sheikh and Deputy Director, Forest Protection Force Shopian Muneer Ahmad, Range officers, Assistant Directors Forest Protection Force and other senior officers participated in these operations.
The department has since two days intensified checking of suspected vehicles in Pulwama and connecting roads and set up night nakas as well in Newa, Murran, Rohmoo, Tokna, Lajoora, Awantipora, Qouil.
Forest Department officials also raided and checked many bandsaw units in Kakapora area for any illicit timber.
The Conservator of Forests informed that he has directed Forest officials to take all possible measures for ensuring strengthening of the Forest protection network including functioning of Forest Control Rooms, increasing mobility of frontline staff, joint patrolling with FPF personnel, increase in frequency of monitoring by field staff and reporting by them.
He further informed that he has directed the concerned DFO to file dossiers under Public Safety Act (PSA) in case of habitual offenders and their supporters. He directed forest officials that no mercy should be shown to forest offenders irrespective of their affiliations, age, gender or any connects. The CoF informed that measures like strengthening of joint patrolling by territorial and FPF personnel and use of troop carriers of FPF for ensuring safety of forests, its assets and its employees has been taken up immediately.
The CoF said that intelligence gathering and sharing between different agencies including local army units, J&K Police and Forest Protection Force with respect to forest offences in Pulwama is being done for better forest protection. He further said that forest department has already lodged 23 PSAs against forest damagers involving more than 30 culprits who have been booked and put behind bars. Besides large number of court challans have also been filed during last two years.
The Conservator of Forests alongwith Senior Forest officers also visited the family of Forest worker at Monoo, Pakherpora, Budgam, who was killed by unknown gunmen while performing forest protection duties in Bagandar Forests near Sangerwani. He expressed deep pain and anguish over the unfortunate killing of a young forest official. He pledged full support for the family of the forest martyr.
Late evening search operations of suspected vehicles at special nakas on vulnerable routes was being carried out by forest teams in Pulwama town areas, led by CoF, South Kashmir, himself when this report was filed.
