Construction of forest department buildings delayed

Chennai: Non-availability of land and bureaucracy have delayed numerous building projects proposed by the forest department under the 13th Finance Commission despite financial sanction. The delay has affected the construction of quarters for foresters, including watchers, guards, rangers and district forest officer.  And projects worth more than Rs150 crore are stagnant for the last two years, said a department source.

According to forest department insiders, under the scheme “maintenance of forests” construction of district forest office quarters at Udumalpet and forest ranger’s office quarters at Karamadai in Coimbatore, both proposed at a cost of Rs 66 lakh, are pending due to non availability of site despite financial sanction since 2013. After more than 18 months, the department has now finalised alternate sites and the new buildings are to be constructed this year in Pollachi and Bolampatti ranges.

Similarly,  the foresters’ quarters proposed at Karamadai and P.N. Palayam in Coimbatore division are also pending due to non availability of sites. After several months the sanctioned project is now underway at Tamil Nadu Forest Academy campus in Coimbatore, sources said. “The worst is the case of the combined forest guard and watchers quarters at Manalodai beat in Tiruchy division. After several months now, it has been reported that the Manalodai beat which had been found recorded twice in department records as duplication of entry in the action plan”, revealed a forest ranger quoting a forest department GO of last year.

Then, it was been proposed to construct one combined forest guard and watcher quarters at Manalodai beat of Tiruchy division and for the remaining one, plans are afoot to construct it at Koppampatti beat in Trichy Division, explained the source.The new construction will help at least 30 forest guards and anti poaching watchers to stay in forest areas and also a field ranger in Coimbatore circle.

At present a few range officers are located in towns and these offices should be located inside core jungle for better surveillance, said wildlife activist K. Mohanraj of Coimbatore adding that no structure,  except field offices, should be allowed to construct inside reserve forests.“It’s time  the forest department forgot constructing new buildings inside forest. Most of the inspection bungalows and quarters not only destroy the forest cover but are often misused by tourists and those who have access to such structures,” alleges wildlife activist S. Jeyachandran of TamiL Nadu Green Movement. There is no need to maintain forests, the funds should be used for conservation and protection of forests, he adds. Efforts to contact forest secretary Hansraj Verma proved futile.