Niligiris forest division struggles to remove encroacments

Udhagamandalam: At least 300 acres of reserve forest in the Nilgiris division were encroached by tribals for cultivation.
District forest officer, Nilgiris division, Guru Swamy Baddal said Kota and Toda tribals had gradually encroached forest areas in Sholur panchayat in Ooty taluk, Nanjanadu panchayat and TR Bazar in Gudalur taluk over the years since 2013. An extent of 110 acres of forest land was brought under cultivation in and around Ajjur, a Badaga village in Kotagiri taluk.
“In Sholur panchayat, Kota tribals had encroached over 150 acres of forest land. In several places, we find it difficult to identify the encroachers. Recently, when officials tried to remove a shed erected on a forest land, they were attacked,” said Baddal. A case was registered in this connection.
At TR Bazaar in Naduvattam area, over 30 acres of land have been encroached and being cultivated. Most of the encroached lands were grasslands, the DFO said. Police have eviced 14 Todas from the encroached lands in Nanjanadu panchayat so far.
Twenty years ago, a settlement officer earmarked 110 acres of forest land (encroached) to be cleared of encroachments at Ajjur village. However, the forest department is unable to execute it. In 2017, the Madras high court also directed the forest department to evict the encroachments.
“We need more manpower and support from other departments to remove encroachments. The villagers are uncooperative,” said Baddal.
As per revenue records, Todas were grazing rights over grassland in forest areas close to their habitat during the British period. “They have only grazing rights over certain pieces of government land. They cannot cultivate in these areas as per the Forest Act,” Baddal said.
“A detailed report of the encroachments by the tribal communities in the Nilgiris has been sent to the higher officials for further action. Survey of forest lands in Nilgiris division will be conducted soon by a special team,” said the DFO.