MP: 1k illegal structures razed, teakwood worth Rs 1.25 crore seized in Burhanpur

Burhanpur (Madhya Pradesh): In one of the biggest haul of illicit teak, Burhanpur police, forest and local administration seized around 3k cubic feet of wood worth over Rs 1.25 crore after demolishing illegal structures in Navra range.

The administration continued a special drive to demolish the structures and collect teakwood cut from jungles in Sewal, Pankheda, Bakri villages on the fifth day as well. This comes after around 60 forest land encroachers attacked Nepanagar police station in Burhanpur and freed their accomplices, including Hema Meghwal on Friday. They assaulted ASI Gulab Singh, Ajay Malviya and another policeman and vandalised police vehicles as well.

Encroachers have been active in Nepanagar region for a long time and their unlawful presence on forest land has been a source of embarrassment for the forest department and district administration. The team, along with the local police also collected teakwood worth Rs 25 lakh illegally cut from Ghaghrala jungle under Nepanagar tehsil. The biggest seize was made from Bakdi region where around 800 illegal structures have been razed.

SP Rahul Kumar Lodha said that encroachers have erected a huge number of dwellings and huts on forest land which was demolished in the four-day drive. Around 1k more structures have been razed. Section 144 was in force in Sewal village for the fifth day as well. DFO Anupam Sharma said that illegally felled timber including Shagoon woods are worth Rs 1.25 crore. The action would continue in future.