Tribals of Pidadamaha village in Daringbadi block of Odisha’s Kandhamal district have alleged that without the consent of their gram sabha, Forest Department officials were trying to destroy the biodiversity of traditional community forest near their village.

About 90 tribal families living in Pidadamaha protect the community forest near their village. The forest has been providing livelihood to these tribals as it contains fruit-bearing trees as well as several other forest produce.

According to ‘Jungle Adhikar Committee’ of the village, in the recent past officials from the Brahmanigaon forest range arrived in their village to press them to support commercial plantation in the community forest.

The villagers alleged that the officials had also threatened to use police force.

Inhabitants of Pidadamaha alleged that the Forest Department has not taken permission of the local gram sabha for the same. They have written to the authorities concerned in Kandhamal district on the issue. According to them, the department is planning to plant trees that will destroy the biodiversity of the forest near their village, affecting their livelihood.

Green Nobel Prize winner and environmental activist Prafulla Samantara has taken up the issue. Mr. Samantara has written to the Governor seeking his intervention. Mr. Samantara said as per his information, the officials have already cut several trees in the forest affecting its biodiversity. “Forceful commercial plantation without approval of the local gram sabha is against the Forest Rights Act, 2006. It is undemocratic unconstitutional action in a scheduled area,” he said.