Offence filed over illegal construction of temple inside Katepurna Sanctuary

Nagpur: The Akola Wildlife Division has finally registered a preliminary offence report (POR) in the illegal construction of a temple in Kasmar, a village located inside the Katepurna Wildlife Sanctuary. However, the POR seems to be an eyewash as none of the people involved in carrying out the illegal activity has been booked.
However, members of an NGO claimed that the POR falsely mentions that the illegal construction was noticed during patrolling by the forest staff.Sources said the wildlife officials were alerted about the illegal construction by whistleblower NGO Nisarga Savwardhan Bahuudeshia Sanstha in Akola. The action was initiated only after TOI reported the matter on September 21.
"The POR is a mere formality as several van majoors (forest laborers), who are deployed for various works in the sanctuary, were among the over 150 people present during the foundation stone laying of the temple. The POR says unidentified persons have been booked for illegal activity. Besides, no sections under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 have been imposed," said the NGO members.
Talking to TOI, Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) field director Adarsh Reddy said, "As we learned about the violations, we first registered a POR. I do not know why the violators' names don't figure in the POR. I will inquire into the matter."
Even as the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court has taken serious note of the illegal mining of murram in and around the Katepurna Wildlife Sanctuary, illegal construction has rattled the wildlife wing. The residents of Kasmar village dug huge pits to lay concrete pillars to construct a temple. They also cut down some trees to clear the forest land in compartment number 122. Forest officials admit permission was not taken to construct the temple.
"Any activity that involves digging forest land and cutting trees is a clear violation of the wildlife laws and also the Indian Forest Act. The forest village was set up in 1988. The village is inside the forest boundary pillar, which shows it is a sanctuary village," the NGO members explained.
Earlier, Katepurna RFO Pawan Jadhao, who is investigating the case, tried to downplay the issue by saying that the village is not in the core area of the sanctuary. "It is true that permission was not taken to construct the temple, fell trees, and dig the land. That's why we have stopped work. The villagers claim that the parcel of land that has been dug is an ‘E' Class land just beside the gaothan. We have asked the locals to provide documents proving their ownership of the land."
The NGO members argue that even ‘E' Class lands are considered forest and need clearance under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980. The Supreme Court judgment of 1996 mandates the protection of forests regardless of their ownership classification.
The illegal construction of the temple and the felling of trees in the Katepurna Wildlife Sanctuary is a serious matter. It not only violates the FCA and WPA but also threatens the biodiversity of the protected area, NGO members said. "The forest department must take strict action against the violators and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future," they demanded.