BHOPAL: The woman deputy divisional forest officer (Dy-DFO) posted in Chambal Sanctuary, who was recently in news for the alleged threats to her by illegal miners, has been transferred to Bandhavgarh (Umaria) from Morena. The state government issued the transfer order of Shradha Pandre on Wednesday evening.
The lady officer had faced 11 attacks of the mining racketeers in last three months. Sources claim that the mining racketeers were behind the transfer. This is not the first time that she was transferred for going tough on people engaged in illegal activities.
Earlier during the training as forest ranger in Betul, the woman officer had stopped the illegal felling of teakwood in the area. Soon after she was transferred to Sagar. From Sagar, Shradha was again sent back to Betul and there to Umaria and then to Morena in very short span. Her Morena posting has the shortest serving period.
Shradha was appointed in-charge of Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary. Mining in the Chambal river is banned. Illegal mining is threat to Ghariyal and also to other aqua life including freshwater dolphins. In last three months, the lady officer has seized around 80 vehicles which are engaged in illegal mining in the area.
Shraddha Pandre faced 11 attacks in 3 months: Shraddha Pandre was allegedly attacked over 11 times by mafia. The illegal miners had opened fire at her team. Recently on June 11, over 100 masked men attacked a team of forest department led by the officer with sticks and stones after she seized a tractor-trolley carrying illegally mined sand.
On June 9, the Mining mafia members emptied a stone laden tractor-trolley in the middle of a road, a few feet away from the patrolling vehicle of Chambal sanctuary staff who were chasing them.
Illegally-mined stones rolled down dangerously from the hydraulic trolley and blocked the road and the patrolling party had a miraculous escape.
On May 22, forest department team was attacked by sand mafia, it was a third incident in a one month when the government team was targeted. A team of forest department in Morena had a miraculous escape on Saturday. A tractor- trolley laden with illegally excavated sand tried to run over the team.
