AP losing forest land to non-tribal encroachers

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh is losing its land to migrant tribals and indigenous non-tribal groups There has been a spurt in land encroachments after the implementation of the Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006, says the records of the AP Forest Department (APFD)Around 32,770 acres of forest land has been encroached in Khammam, Warangal, Adilabad, and Karimnagar districts, according to the records“Influx of non-tribes from the neighboring Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh into the forest areas is the main reason for the declining forest land in the state Felling of trees is on the rise in the forest areas ,” said Rajesh Mittal, additional chief conservator of forestsHe said that there was an urgent need to assess the allotments of forest land in the state adding a wide publicity of the ongoing encroachments is needed, to be made by the revenue and tribal welfare departments“Fresh encroachments should not be regularised under any circumstances, and if people resort to the same, the benefits under the Forest Rights Act should be withdrawn,” he opinedIt is learnt that the state government has regularised thousands of acres of forest lands in the interest of tribes and non-tribes before 2006As there is no stringent punishments against the encroachers under the Forest Protection Act, 2004, it has been increasing day by day, said Rajesh MittalHowever, he said that encroachments are mostly being done by the rich, urban citizens, and land mafias Still, forest-dwellers are unfairly being labelled as encroachers A senior official from forest department said, some landlords had appropriated lands allotted by the government to tribal communities in the state The government had distributed lands to the Chenchu, Koya, and Yanadi tribal communities in some forest areas But, most of them were found in the possession of the landlords, he saidNine Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) were set up in the state for the uplift of tribal groups However, the officials seemed least bothered to their welfareThere are hundreds of cases against non-tribals who have encroached the forest land, yet the government seems less concerned to intervene into the matter, Mittal added