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| Encroachment of forest land likely to affect Jammu tourism | | | S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 11: Encroachment of forest land has been a matter of grave concern for the forest and other departments. The encroachments, it is feared will devastate Jammu tourism.
According to sources, since 1990 scores of new establishments in the form of colonies were established in some parts of Jammu division.
"Big structures have come up at Bhatandhi, Mudra, Muthi, Sidra, Bajadtha and other areas in the winter capital of Jammu and the authorities at the helm of affairs have failed to take appropriate action against the concerned department", sources told early times.
Sources said that there is a huge encroachment of forest land. "Even though roads have been macadamized and locals have informed us that some of the colonies are still unregistered", said sources.
Sources alleged that, in the previous years the government has started anti-encroachment drive, but that was not sustained by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) adding there are dozens of places where people have legally or illegally grabbed the land and these people have either political influence are some other access towards to the authorities.
At some places the FTD had intensified anti-Encroachment operations in Jammu forest areas and had retrieved hundreds of kanals by some influential people who had illegally occupied forest land.
It seems there will be a negative impact on tourism industry especially in Jammu sector in the coming years and for all this mess the authorities concerned will be held responsible, sources observed.
Sources said that in the mentioned areas, the timber smuggling is also unabated and the roots of the forests were set on fire to destroy the evidence of their offence and one can understand that all these illegal activities were done under the noose of forest department, who have given free hand to the timber smugglers to make their day, while as fact of the matter is that there is no demarcation of forest land at many places. |
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