Palghar Forest Department Clears 10,000 Sq Ft of Encroached Land, Takes Tough Action

Palghar, Mandvi Range:  The Palghar forest department has successfully cleared 10,000 square feet of protected forest land in a recent operation aimed at removing unauthorised encroachments. The operation, led by Range Forest Officer Rita Vaidya, focused on demolishing illegal structures in the protected forests of Bapane and Bilalpada villages, as well as unauthorised huts in Virar.

The encroachments, including houses and a cattle shed, were built on forest land in Survey Nos. 156, 94, 398, and 1135. In addition to demolishing the structures, the forest department has registered cases against the offenders under the Indian Forest Act of 1927. Investigations are ongoing.

Forest department staff, including Forest Guard Ankush Bhosale and officials like Rakesh Jagale, Prabhakar Kudalkar, and others, played a key role in the operation. This action reflects the department's commitment to preserving protected forest areas in Palghar.