A forest guard was injured in an altercation that broke out between a team of Forest Department staff and a few tribal residents accused of encroaching a wetland in the Nilgiris Forest Division on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Department said that a team was on a routine patrol of the Nilgiris North Forest Range near Pykara when they discovered a shack set up by a Kota tribal woman named P. Rajeshwari. As the construction threatened a wetland in the area, they served notices on Rajeshwari and her family to remove the encroachment on July 3.
Officials said that the local villagers had encroached on a few acres of reserve forest, and that in many cases, had sub-leased the land to members of non-tribal groups for farming. “We decided to remove the encroachment as it threatened a wetland,” said Assistant Conservator of Forests, Nilgiris Division, K Saravanakumar.
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When the forest team went to the area on Tuesday, Rajeshwari and a few of her family members picked a quarrel with them. A scuffle ensued, and a forest guard sustained injuries. The guard, Mr. Thirumoorthy, was taken to hospital and treated for his injuries. The department has lodged a complaint with the Nilgiris district police. After further negotiations, the Forest Department agreed to give Rajeshwari time to remove the encroachment.