Forest drive armed with new law

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 4: Implementation of West Bengal Trees (protection and conservation in non-forest areas) Act 2006 and Rules 2007 came into effect in Cooch Behar forest division since September last year. Under this Act trees of non-forest areas too came under jurisdiction of forest department. Taking advantage of the Act huge quantity of timber meant for trafficking was seized from different areas till December. Forest department sources claimed that Cooch Behar division is on the top of the list in implementing the new Act.

 

During the first three days of the new year the Cooch Behar social forestry division officials conducted massive raids and seized 400 cubic-feet of illegally felled trees of non-forest areas worth Rs 25,000 from Tufanganj, Nagurhat and Baxirhat, Two ADFOs – Mr SK Baroi and Mr A Chatterjee, range officer Mr Rahul Mukherjee and beat officer Md Mansur Ali led the drive against illegal felling of trees. Regular raid and seizure can discourage the timber traffickers, the forest officials believe. []