Following complaints that trees were removed to lay mud roads inside forest areas at Hasanur Division in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, Ao. Limatoshi, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Protection, Vigilance and Forests, Wildlife Crime Bureau) inspected the spots and held inquiries with officials recently.
The Forest Department had received complaints that mud roads were laid in Ulikarai (4 km), Manikal Road (4 km) and Germalam Shooting Spot (12 km), in December 2019 and January 2020 by the Hasanur Forest Division without obtaining clearance from the department. A team from the Wildlife Crime Bureau, Chennai, had last week inspected the spots and held inquiries. Later, it submitted a report to the department.
When contacted, V. Naganathan, Chief Conservator of Forest and Field Director, STR, told The Hindu pathways were created in the forest areas for field monitoring and added that no trees were cleared for the purpose. Another official said that invasive parthenium weeds were cleared to create new pathways from approach roads in the forest areas as during forest fires, the roads helped the personnel reach the spot to put out the fire.
