Other States - Orissa   

Tree-felling makes law-enforcing tough job

BERHAMPUR: Felling of trees has again proved to be the major hindrance to maintenance of law and order in the violence-hit Kandhamal district.

Compelled by disrupted road communication due to fallen trees, the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division, Satyabrata Sahu urged the State Government to provide helicopters to monitor law and order situation in the district. Fallen trees are adding oxygen to the communal fire. The centre has agreed to provide helicopters for the purpose at the request of the State Government.

The miscreants are felling trees to block roads to prevent police from reaching the spot of their violent activity, said Mr Sahu. It is also preventing violent activities from remote areas getting reported in time. It took more than ten hours for the Kandhamal district Collector to clear road from Phulbani to Raikia on Tuesday by removing fallen trees with the help of Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF). But the problem continued in other areas. On Wednesday an injured ASP, P.K.Debata Tikabali could not be shifted to Berhampur from Tikabali immediately after an attack on him due to fallen trees.

Miscreants of both the warring groups are felling trees for their nefarious motives. Any place where minorities are targeted has roads blocked by fallen trees. Trees were cut down to block the road on which the procession of the body of the slain VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda was taken to Chakapada. Trees also blocked the return journey of VHP leader, Pravin Togadia from Kandhamal district.

In December last fallen trees had played a major role in the flaring up of communal tension in this district. Then the State Home Department had claimed that around 4000 trees may have been cut down to block roads and movement of police to riot-hit areas. This time the number of trees may be higher as the extent of violence is greater.

Seventy one percent of the total 8021 square km area of the district remains under forest cover.

But tribal leaders like Bhala Chandra Sarangi say that tribals are not involved in this large-scale destruction of trees. Large fruit bearing tress including that of mango and mahua, which are revered by tribals have been cut down. "It is for sure non-tribal miscreants are behind the large-scale felling of these trees to fan violence in the lush green Kandhamal district," said Lambodar Kanhar, leader of Kui Samaj.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

BSE proposes new ‘scoring’ pattern
Farm scientists fear entry of weeds in wheat
Locals block traffic as boy is injured in accident
Christian council seeks CBI probe into violence
Tree-felling makes law-enforcing tough job
Southco staff demonstrate over death of apprentice
Youth injured in attack
Ganjam district may have seven new tehsil offices in this financial year
Students go on the rampage

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu