Timber mafia strikes terror

MUMBAI, OCT 4: The timber mafia's recent attacks on forest guards posted inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park have had a demoralising e...

MUMBAI, OCT 4: The timber mafia8217;s recent attacks on forest guards posted inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park have had a demoralising effect on all forest officials, deputy conservator of forests A R Bharati said.

The criminals, armed with lethal weapons, swooped down on forest outposts at Divekarpada and Shilotter on September 13 and September 20 respectively, and assaulted the guards on duty before escaping with timber. They also damaged the launch used by the guards to patrol the Thane creek area.

Recalling the September 13 incident, range forest officer S V Deshpande said at around 11.30 pm, a 40-strong mob armed with axes and choppers pulled the forest guards at Divekarpada out of their office, beat them up and warned them to leave their posts. On September 30, nearly 150 members of the mafia attacked the forest guard8217;s residential quarters, damaged the roof and pulled down a section of the wall, Deshpande added.

8220;Despite the forest department8217;s repeated complaints, police have yet to initiateaction against the culprits,8221; Bharthi pointed out.

The Bombay High Court had, on May 7 last year, asked the state government to provide security cover to park officials by dispatching a battalion of the State Reserve Police Force SRPF, but the government still hasn8217;t doneso.

A Supreme Court order of 1997, which said the forest department officials should be given arms, patrol vehicles and a wireless communications network, has also not been implemented so far.

8220;Despite the HC and SC ruling, the government has done nothing to prevent tree-felling, which is threatening the ecologically sensitive park and two lakes that provide drinking water to Mumbai. The money is being diverted for less fruitful purposes, like lion and tiger safaris,8221; Bombay Environmental Action Group8217;s activist Debi Goenka said.

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Investigations by park officials have revealed the forest8217;s proximity to urban centres known for furniture-manufacturing units, like Vasai, Ulhasnagar, and Bhiwandi, has helped the mafia.

Earlier, themafia was felling Khair and Haldu trees, but they8217;ve recently taken to felling shesham teak trees, which fetch a few thousand rupees each.