TIRUPATI: Once again, red sanders smugglers resorted to attack the forest staff when the latter went to nab them near Srinivasa Ma..
TIRUPATI: Once again, red sanders smugglers resorted to attack the forest staff when the latter went to nab them near Srinivasa Mangapuram in Chandragiri mandal on Sunday night.
However, the attack of smugglers was repulsed this time by the police who accompanied the forest staff. The police opened fire in the air to disperse the smugglers.About 80 woodcutters engaged for axing red sanders trees, vanished into the deep forest leaving the logs they cut at the spot.The attacks of smugglers on the forest staff is on the rise in recent times. The forest staff were attacked thrice by the smugglers during the last six months when the former went to nab them.
Earlier, the focus of the forest staff was to seize the red sanders logs while they were being smuggled out. Now, the forest staff stepped up combing of the forest area to nab the red sanders smugglers.It may be recalled that the smugglers murdered a contract forest beat officer near Srikalahasti three months ago. They also assaulted a couple of forest staffers.In the wake of rise in attacks on forest staff, the department had engaged 15 police personnel to escort them during raids in Tirupati wildlife circle limits, which seems to have yielded some results in repulsing the attacks.He underlined the need for taking stern measures to check smuggling of red sanders in Seshachalam forests. Red sanders smugglers should be dealt with an iron hand to preserve the precious red sanders tree species in the Seshachalam forests, he said. They are also planning to meet the SPs of Chittoor and Tirupati Urban on Friday to discuss measures to be taken for better coordination between the two departments to check the smuggling of red sanders effectively.
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