Garhwal Post Bureau
Haridwar, 1 Apr: Residents of Rasoolpur and Pili Padav villages located in the vicinity of Shyampur forest range have expressed strong resentment against the Forest Department and staged a protest outside the range office on Tuesday and raised slogans against the forest authorities. The villagers alleged that forest officials and staff are preventing them from using common village pathways. They also alleged that there have been instances of assault on the villagers when objections were raised.
Later giving in to the demand of the villagers, the forest department shifted forester Naveen Kumar from Pili Padav today. However, the forest department continues to deny the allegations levelled by the villagers.
It may be reminded that the protest, led by aggrieved residents, was intended to highlight the difficulties being faced by villagers and school-going students due to restrictions on movement, which have disrupted access to schools and colleges. The villagers claimed that under the pretext of regulating the movement of wild animals, the forest personnel were harassing locals and imposing unwarranted curbs on them. Shashi Pal Singh Jhandwal, Gram Pradhan of Pili Padav, alleged that villagers who had gone to collect firewood for household use were assaulted and that even those maintaining silence were being unnecessarily troubled. He further claimed that vehicles with blaring sirens were driven through the village at night to exert undue pressure on residents.
At the same time, Kamlesh Dwivedi, Gram Pradhan of Rasoolpur Meethi Beri, also raised concerns regarding plantation activities in the forest area and she alleged that the department was planting species such as kanju trees which, according to him, are not conducive to wildlife welfare. He demanded that plant species suitable for wildlife be prioritised in afforestation efforts.
Responding to the allegations, Vinay Rathi, Ranger of the Shyampur forest range, categorically denied any harassment of villagers or imposition of restrictions on movement, terming the accusations as baseless. He maintained that the department undertakes plantation of species beneficial for wildlife and adheres to established norms.
Following the protest and mounting opposition from villagers, SDO of the Haridwar forest division, Poonam Kanthola, ordered the immediate removal of Van Daroga Naveen Kumar from Pili Padav. Naveen Kumar, who was holding additional charge of both Pili Padav and Khara beats, has now been relieved of responsibilities in Pili Padav and will continue to oversee only the Khara beat.
In his place, Deputy Ranger Bhupendra Singh Bisht has been assigned charge of the Pili Padav area. The SDO personally visited the protest site, heard the grievances of the villagers and urged them to call off the agitation while assuring appropriate action on their concerns. Following the intervention and assurances, the villagers withdrew their protest and dispersed peacefully.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Wayal Swapnil Anirudha, a 2020 batch IFS officer, stated that the reassignment was necessitated as Naveen Kumar was handling dual responsibilities across two beats. He reiterated that strict action against illegal mining would continue and that the enforcement measures in the region would remain uncompromised.
