Jharkhand CM orders removal of saw mills within radius of 5 km of forest area

Ranchi, June 15: All saw mills coming within a radius of five kilometers from the forest area of Jharkhand will be removed.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren has rejected the proposal of the Forest Department, in which it was requested to regularize the saw mills operating within a radius of five km from the pre-1996 forest area in the state.

In a statement issued by the chief minister’s office on Wednesday, it was stated that Hemant Soren has ordered the Forest Department to take immediate action to remove all saw mills falling within a radius of five kilometers from the forest area.

The directive is aimed at putting a check on illegal felling of trees in the notified forest areas.

The far-reaching impact of this decision of chief minister will be seen on the forest and environment of the state in the coming days. This will also check illegal felling of wood in the forests. Along with this, wild fauna, forests and vegetation will also be protected.

Action on illegal sawmills commenced immediately after the chief minister’s directive.

The Forest Department has seized a huge quantity of teak wood by raiding four illegally operated sawmills located in Sarath and Sarwan blocks of Deoghar district. Also, these saw mills have been completely demolished by the forest department.

Incidentally, chief minister had earlier last month also given strict instructions to close the illegal mine (Jharkhand Illegal Mining) operating in the state. In this regard, he said that in the district where illegal mines would be operated, action would be taken against the senior officers of that district. After this order, the action of the police administration on illegal mines and crushers in various districts of the state intensified.

Every day there was news of the closure of illegal mines. People have also welcomed this step of chief minister. Especially the people of the coalfield area say that there have been many accidents due to illegal mines, while repeated explosions in the mine adversely affect their homes including pollution.