13 woodcutters slip into Seshachalam forests

They leave behind red sanders logs worth `25 lakh

Tirupati: Nearly 13 red sanders woodcutters slipped into the deep cover of Seshachalam forests after combing operations parties spotted them on Sunday. The forest department staff while undertaking combing operations to flush out red sanders woodcutters and smugglers inside the Seshachalam forests spotted around 13 red sanders woodcutters carrying logs near Saddikudu banda in Chamala range of Seshachalam forests on Sunday. They left the logs and fled deep inside the forests.

Although the joint-combing parties, comprising the forest department as well as the task force, sleuths have been undertaking extensive combing operations inside the Seshachalam forests to completely bring down the felling off precious red sanders trees to a complete naught and to flush out the woodcutters and smugglers from the forests, Tamil Nadu-based woodcutters have been managing to land up inside the Seshachalam forests to fell the trees especially in the last few weeks.

According to Incharge Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) G Pavan Kumar, on Sunday, the combing parties who were undertaking operation inside the Seshachalam forests spotted around 13 red sanders woodcutters carrying red sanders logs near Saddikudu banda inside the forests and raised an alarm asking them to surrender. But the red sanders woodcutters abandoned the ‘tabla’ shaped high-quality logs behind and managed to flee deep inside the woods on sighting the combing parties.

The forest department seized red sanders logs worth around Rs 25 lakh. The combing parties have intensified combing operations inside the forests in view of the fresh spotting of TN-based woodcutters. The forest department staff in the Yerravaripalem and Chinnagottigallu belt has also stepped up combing operations on the other side of the forest belt.