Curb wood smuggling: KCR to officials

​Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday directed the officials to put wood smuggling down with an iron hand. The Chief Minister, who held a meeting on 'Protecting environment and developing forest area,' instructed the Forest officials to take the help of police to check smuggling of wood from forests. The Preventive Detention Act should be invoked against those who indulge in smuggling forest wood, he said.

Also, the Chief Minister instructed that however influenced might be the wood-smugglers, and whatever political party they belong (to), action should be initiated against them. The action plan should be evolved on planting of crores of saplings throughout the State, forest rejuvenation, greenery development in and around the city and control of wood-smuggling, it said. By taking the help of police, Forest officials should develop a plan and bring wood-smuggling down to nil. The number of saplings to be planted as part of 'Telangana ku Haritha Haram' (green drive of the State government) should be increased year after year.

During the next monsoon, 100 crore of saplings should be planted under the campaign and an action plan should be developed for the purpose, he said. The Chief Minister said the Forest officials confessed that they had provided wood to certain influential people when they construct houses. He said that action would be taken against the leaders irrespective of their parties if they are found indulging in smuggling activity.

Due to forest wood smuggling, the forests are facing lot of problems. In some areas wood smuggling is rampant. For some people, wood smuggling has become a profession. The Chief Minister directed the officials to identify those for whom the wood smuggling has become a profession and take action against them.

He also explained his vision for environmental protection including an action plan under which the State will be divided into four parts and Haritha Haram would be taken up on a mission mode.