Speaking with A K Jha conservator of forests of the Forest Division Thane Circle, one gets the impression that the forest department in doing a good job despite insuffucuent staff.

“The government ban, brought into effect about five years ago, on recruitment has caused some problems but we have solved some of these problems. But the government recently lifted the ban on recruitment of police department may too soon be allowed to recruit staff to police our forests,” he adds.

“Last year, about 100 trucks carrying timbre were caught in and around Thane. When trucks carrying illegally felled trees are confiscated, informers get paid Rs. 2,500 per truck gets auctioned with the logs, the informer maker anothertidy sum,” Jha reveals.

Another forest department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity said, “The fine of about Rs 2,500 and a jail term of six months seems to mild when you take into account that an average truck-load of teak fetches Rs 25,000.00; and a truck of 10 cubic meters can hold teak worth about Rs 2,50,000.

A logical step, according to another forest department official would be to station police in places like Lakda Bazaar where illegally felled wood is sold

Indian laws state that though some trees may be cut, others have to be monitored- the root observed and scrutinized before felling. For those caught, the legal machinery seems too weak and easily overcome. Sources reveal that there is only one government pleader to fight cases to illegal felling of trees and poaching.

In the forest department’s Thane Circle, the major contributor of losses last year was not the much sought after teak trees but trees like Dawda, Kher, Ain and Injali the wood of which are used in erecting hutments. While the felling of teak trees probably mounted to Rs 60 lakh, wood from Dawda, Kher, Ain and Injaliwere to the tune of Rs 1.7 crore,

“If you look logically, the ban of the past five years on recruitment of the vigilance department needs to be lifted soon and fresh staff needs to be inducted and trained. Very soon the oldstaff will retire and then what? No recruitment of forest staff or RFOs has taken place for almost 10 years and we have been short staffed by 35 per cent for the last two years or more. Soon we may have no staff or if at all they induct new people, there may not be any skilled supervisors to train them.” Says another official.

Despite these drawbacks, the forest department has done well in reducing tree cutting by 30 per cent in the last one year by increased vigilance through wireless technology and with the help of police departments form the bordering states.