NASHIK: The forest department seized a vehicle in the district that was allegedly used to steal teak from a forest area on the Gujarat-Maharashtra border.
Divisional forest officer (vigilance) Digambar Pagar said the vehicle, which is registered with a regional transport office (RTO) in Gujarat, was caught on the night of January 8 from Umbarthan range located in the Surgana taluka. “The vehicle was identified during patrolling by forest guards and was suspected to be carrying wood. When interrogated, the driver fled the scene.
The vehicle had four logs of trees measuring 1 cubic metre each, costing a total of about Rs 40,000. About 50% of the total wood has been recovered, while the rest is being traced. The area from where the trees were cut has also been identified,” Pagar added.
He said a preliminary offence report has been registered and a probe to identify the owner of the vehicle and other details has been initiated. “The RTO in Gujarat has also been asked to trace the owner and find out whether he was aware of his vehicle being used and its whereabouts. If the wood or vehicle has been used without consent, action will be taken,” the officer added.
Pagar said the department has appealed to locals to co-operate and inform officials about such illegal activities. The department has received money under secret funds, which allows anyone informing about illegal forest activities to receive a sum of Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 from the government. He added that Dhule, Peth, Harsul, Bare, Surgana and Umbartha are main areas bordering Gujarat where such activities are reported.
Arms training for forest guards: The forest department has provided arms training to its 85 regional staff members for self-protection.The training was provided between January 5 and 11 to five range forest officers, one assistant conservator of forests, nine foresters and 69 forest guards from eastern and western parts of Nashik and Malegaon range.
