https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Taking On The Timber Smugglers of Nirmal Forest

DFO of Nirmal Forest, Vikas Meena, is taking on the timber smugglers who are highly active in the area as the forest is known for its teak, one of the finest in the country. The forest department has set up check posts and base camps to catch timber smugglers and constituted special animal monitoring teams to control poaching. The department is also using drones for reforestation, with application of 1000 seed balls of native forestry species as a pilot project.
Indian Masterminds Stories

With timber smuggling rampant in the forests of Nirmal district in Telangana, the forest department is on high alert at all times to protect the trees, and also the animals from poachers. To counter the challenges from smugglers and poachers, the department is implementing a lot of initiatives to preserve the 3,06,005.28 acres of notified forest land which is around 33.16% of the total geographical area of the district.

IFS officer Vikas Meena, who is currently posted as the District Forest Officer (DFO) of Nirmal, speaks to Indian Masterminds about how the forest department is striving hard to check timber smuggling and animal poaching in the area.

Training to Staff

CONTROLLING TIMBER SMUGGLING 

Nirmal forest produces one of the finest teakwood in the country and, also, caters to a part of Kawal Tiger Reserve, which is India’s 41st Tiger Reserve and the state’s second. The Tiger Reserve is endowed with rich biodiversity and is located in a strategic area forming a corridor to Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra.

Mr. Vikas Meena, who is also the Deputy Director of Kawal Tiger Reserve, told Indian Masterminds, “The major challenges we face are to control the timber smugglers, control of poaching as the area is rich in biodiversity, control of encroachment due to increase in anthropogenic pressures, forest fire management as the area is prone to forest fire during dry season, habitat management to increase prey base population etc.”

Interaction with villagers and awareness generation regarding poaching, fire and timber fellings

To control timber smuggling, the forest department has field staff who conduct regular foot patrolling daily. The officer said, “We have also established check posts at strategic location so as to stop smuggling of timber. We have around 14 base camps which are located deep inside the forest and the base camp watchers conduct regular patrolling and inspection. We also conduct surprise raids to seize illicit timber.”

Other than that, firelines are created and special teams deployed to take immediate action in case of forest fires during the dry season. The team usually receives an alert on their mobile app through Forest Survey of India.

USING MODERN TECHNOLOGY

The forest department of Nirmal is also using modern-day technologies to counter the challenges they are facing in the area. The M Stripes app is being used by the field staff, and it keeps track of the staff movement while conducting foot patrolling to monitor the wildlife and their habitat.

use of drones

Mr. Meena has also initiated a pilot project under which the department has adopted drone technology for reforestation project, with application of 1000 seed balls of native forestry species per hectare of forest land.

Apart from this, drones are also being used for documentation and awareness generation, E-office is being implemented to save paper in offices, GIS software is being used for planning and forest management and CCTVs are being used to monitor all check posts.

Use of GIS technology in decision making

TACKLING POACHING

Mr. Vikas Meena said that poaching of animals through electrocution was a big problem in Nirmal district as some illegal electric lines pass through the forest. “This was brought to the notice of Forest Protection Committee, and it was decided to conduct joint operations of officials of the police, excise, electricity, revenue and forest departments to remove illegal electricity lines and snares to prevent poaching.”

Impact of habitat management interventions

The officer also informed that special animal monitoring teams have been constituted to keep a close watch on the wildlife and their habitats.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Karnataka High Court
Karnataka High Court Quashes Criminal Case Against MP Dr. K Sudhakar in ₹4.8 Crore Election Cash Seizure
Bihar Police
Bihar Police Reshuffle Ahead of Assembly Elections: 3 IPS, 148 DSPs Transferred; Ashok Kumar Singh Appointed SP Human Rights Commission
FACT
From Finance Head to CMD: Who Is S Sakthimani, the PESB-Recommended Chief of FACT Limited?
Reserve-Bank-of-India_RBI_resized
RBI Proposes UIN-Based System to Simplify Foreign Offices Setup, Eases Approval Norms
NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog Proposes Presumptive Taxation Scheme for Foreign Investors to Boost Certainty and Ease of Doing Business
Bihar Government-resized-IM
Major IAS Reshuffle in Bihar Ahead of Elections: 7 Officers Transferred; Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh Appointed Secretary to CM Secretariat
bureaucracy news
IRS Chandra Madhav Singh Appointed Deputy Secretary in Consumer Affairs; IPS Shika Goel Takes Over as DG Vigilance & Enforcement in Telangana
IAS Shailja Pandey
Who Is IAS Shailja Pandey? Nainital Officer Joins Rajasthan Cadre After Transfer from Bihar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr G K Goswami IPS
Everything you ever wanted to know about e-murder, e-dacoity and data safety
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
How Siddhartha Saxena Cracked UPSC CAPF AIR 326 Against All Odds
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Live Interaction
From Cut-off Dates to Coaching & Reforms: UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Assures Aspirants of Fairness, Transparency & a Future-Ready UPSC | UPSC@100
A Century of Service: The UPSC’s Landmark Year Begins. Chairman Ajay Kumar on UPSC’s Centennial: “Merit,...
Giriraj Parihar MPPSC 2024
From Constable to Deputy Collector: Giriraj Parihar’s 9-Year MPPSC Journey | Farmer’s Son, Brother to Five Sisters
From a jail guard to MPPSC 2024 Rank 8, Giriraj Parihar’s nine-year journey of self-study, hard work,...
Ankit MPPSC 2024 Rank 3
From Village Dreams to Deputy Collector’s Chair: Meet Ankit, MPPSC Rank 3 Hindi Medium Topper
Ankit, a Hindi-medium aspirant from Balaghat, secured Rank 3 in MPPSC 2024 and became Deputy Collector...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Karnataka High Court
Karnataka High Court Quashes Criminal Case Against MP Dr. K Sudhakar in ₹4.8 Crore Election Cash Seizure
Bihar Police
Bihar Police Reshuffle Ahead of Assembly Elections: 3 IPS, 148 DSPs Transferred; Ashok Kumar Singh Appointed SP Human Rights Commission
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr G K Goswami IPS
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT