In a shocking incident near the SDM office in Meerut's Mawana, a distressed farmer attempted suicide by self-immolation, sending shockwaves through the community. The farmer, whose identity remains undisclosed, was swiftly taken to the Community Health Center (C.H.C) for urgent medical attention. Dr. Anil Sharma, a physician at the CHC, reported that the farmer sustained severe burns, estimating around 70%, and has been subsequently referred to Meerut for specialised treatment.
In the Krishna Van Block of the forest department near Alipur Morana village, close to the Hastinapur police station area, there has been an illegal occupation by villagers on approximately three hectares of land for several years. Taking action, the forest department, under the guidance of DFO Rajesh Kumar, deployed a team of officials on Thursday. The team, including surveyor Vijendra Singh, ranger Ravikant, local revenue officer Sachin Tomar, Rohit Sharma, revenue inspector Agrasen, and deputy ranger Manoj Kumar, reached the site. They operated a forest department tractor on government land to free it from encroachment.
Simultaneously, Meanwhile, the forest department has been accused of forcibly cultivating the farmer's crops.
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Forest department's anti-encroachment drive behind incident
Regional Forest Officer Ravikant Choudhary clarified that the land had been illegally occupied by villagers for several years, prompting the forest department's intervention. The tractor operation was part of an ongoing campaign to reclaim unlawfully occupied forest department lands.
Choudhary emphasised that the anti-encroachment campaign would persist, and similar actions would be taken wherever illegal occupation is identified. Additionally, approximately five hundred hectares of land in the Khadar area, along the Ganges, have been cleared of encroachment and earmarked for future afforestation projects.
In a related development, Jagbir (55), a resident of Alipur Morana, had earlier expressed opposition, asserting ownership of the contested land. Tragically, on Friday, the farmer in question attempted suicide in the tehsil, sustaining severe injuries. The farmer has been promptly referred to Meerut for necessary medical intervention.
