DEHRADUN | March 26, 2017: The death of the forest beat watcher Pehelwan Singh who was mercilessly mowed down by the mining mafia on Friday night at Kaladhungi near Corbett has once again accentuated the formidable challenge posed in curbing illegal river mining activities near river beds.

The demand for riverbed material (RBM) in the burgeoning construction industry has led to rampant illegal mining which is often done in collusion with lower officials of police and bureaucracy. Forest officials on their part say that they are acutely understaffed, and it becomes difficult to patrol areas without arms and vehicles.

Divisional forest official of Terai Central, Kalyani Negi too was assaulted in Terai West when as DFO of the area, she tried to stop them from conducting illegal river mining two years ago. "The forest staff is acutely inadequate in manpower . In Terai Central, 48 vacancies of beat guard are pending. The situation is not bright in other divisions as well. The forest staff has to petrol without arms except the time of a raid by forest flying squad , there too with only one man with arm. We are pitied against people involved with river mining carrying unlicensed arms, which become easily available to them for the region's proximity with Uttar Pradesh," said Negi.

She said, since people working for river mining such as those plying tractor-trolleys are from nearby villages, so as the forest staff reaches to check and oppose, locals mob the staff and officials and, manhandle them.

DFO also lamented that district administration and police consider patrolling and controlling river mining in the forest area as duty of forest staff so they too don't extend help usually.

She stresed on the fact that just like police, the force staff should be properly trained with arms and ammunition, especially in vulerable areas which have history of defying law and people reciprocating to violence.

Kahkashan Naseem, DFO Terai West who is awaiting her new posting and has now been attached with headquarter of the forest department for the time being said, "The tigers in the entire region are vulnerable as people associated with river mining carry unlicensed arms with them and would not hesitate in shooting at tigers in these forests. This was one of the reason I hurried up to rescue tiger from Belpadav forest."

Unlike western circle, where people flout river mining norms to make easy and quick money, Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation has taken some concrete measures to counter the offence. JS Suhag, general manager, kumon UFDC said, " Terai is open from all ends. They can have some sort of barricading at vulnerable spots of tiger mining. At Gaula, we have stationed PAC force for security, CCTV cameras for vigilance and chip cards ,equipped with all the detail about the holders, for entry and exit points . So such measures are required to minimise all efforts of illegal mining."

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)