Forest department proposes wall to tackle intrusion

Mumbai: In an attempt to curb encroachments in forest areas of Thane, the forest department has proposed the construction of an eight feet high compound wall along a 4.5 km stretch of forestland. Initially the compound wall had been proposed at the forest stretch of Kalwa and Mumbra that are the most vulnerable areas. The Asian Age had yesterday reported that encroachment cases were found to be higher in Thane forest in the period of 2016-17.

According to the forest department, total encroachment in the forest area of Thane is 16,159 hutments on a land area of 63.06 hectares (ha). Out of which, 1,201 hutments were removed from forest area during various encroachment removal drives in 2017 reclaiming 2.165 hectares of area. Total forest area in Mumbra and Kalwa is 260.297 ha.

“We have escalated the proposal of construction wall to higher authorities. The wall will help protect the forestland from huge pressure of encroachment from slums that have come up adjoining forest areas. The estimated cost is around Rs 4.5 crore,” said Jitendra Ramgaonkar, chief conservator of forest, Thane.

Thane district has a forest cover of around 2,907,54 ha and 3,3570 ha of wildlife cover apart from the land under revenue department and forest development corporation of Maharashtra.

While there was demolition of only 7% of the illegal hutments, the forest department asserted that legal cases and state policy for regularisation of slum has contributed to the delay in demolition of illegal structures.

“Many hutments claim that they have been established before the year 2000. So, they move the court stating that their hutments are legal as per the state slum regularisation policy. It has delayed the demolition process. However, we immediately demolish fresh encroachments that are observed by the forest officials,” added Mr Ramgaonkar.