Over 350 acres of teak-rich forest land in Tripura’s Sonamura subdivision is under threat due to alleged illegal occupation and deforestation. JFMC members raise alarm over forged documents and administrative inaction, warning of irreversible ecological damage if immediate steps aren’t taken to halt the destruction.
In a deeply troubling development, more than 350 acres of forest land in the Reserve Forest area under the Sonamura subdivision are reportedly being illegally occupied and cleared, causing widespread concern among environmentalists and local Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) members.
The land in question, a thriving teak plantation cultivated and nurtured over the past 25 years under the supervision of the Forest Department and the Green Land Joint Forest Management Committee, is now allegedly under threat from unauthorized occupants who have begun indiscriminately felling mature teak trees. These valuable trees, which took decades to mature, are being cut down at an alarming rate.
Speaking to local media on Saturday, JFMC members said that the teak plantation dates back to 1992 when the Forest Department first initiated afforestation in the area. Initially maintained by the department until the year 2000, the plantation was later handed over to the Green Land JFMC to ensure community-based protection and sustainable use of forest resources.
A senior JFMC member recounted, “So far I can remember, it was 1992 when the plantation was carried out for the first time in this place. The Forest Department maintained the garden in a reserve forest area till 2000. When they felt community intervention was essential to protect the forest assets, they constituted the Green Land Joint Forest Management Committee. Since then, the members of the committee had been protecting the forest area and using its resources.”
However, in recent weeks, individuals claiming ownership of the forest land have moved in and begun large-scale deforestation. The JFMC alleges that these individuals are backed by influential local figures and have neither legal title nor historical claim to the land. More worryingly, when JFMC members raised objections, the intruders continued unabated and even asserted their supposed ownership, despite decades of government and community stewardship.
Another JFMC member raised serious questions about the legitimacy of the land claims, stating, “We have strong doubts over the authenticity of the claims over the land. Because, since our childhood, we have seen the Forest Department as the custodian of the land. The emergence of these new owners all of a sudden raised suspicion. We also came to know that the documents in their possession are forged and the whole takeover is against the laws that govern forest areas.”
According to ground reports, the illegal logging operation has already led to the removal and transportation of several truckloads of valuable teak logs. Despite repeated attempts by the JFMC to bring the matter to the attention of the forest authorities, no substantial action has been taken so far, further emboldening the alleged land grabbers.
The situation highlights not just an ecological crisis but also an administrative lapse. The silence of the forest department in the face of this massive encroachment has drawn sharp criticism from environmental activists and local residents alike, who fear that the precedent could lead to more such illegal land takeovers in other forested regions of the state.
The JFMC members are now demanding an immediate inquiry into the matter, including a forensic review of the documents held by the claimants, and urgent intervention from the state forest and revenue departments. They are also calling for the re-establishment of forest patrols in the area and the enforcement of existing forest protection laws.
As Tripura continues to face increasing pressure on its natural resources due to population growth, urban expansion, and illegal encroachments, this incident serves as a glaring example of what can go wrong when custodial and community oversight is neglected.
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With mature teak trees destroyed and a quarter-century of ecological conservation now in jeopardy, the fate of the Sonamura forest hangs in the balance. The coming days will determine whether authorities take meaningful steps to restore justice and environmental integrity — or allow this quiet forest to fall to unchecked greed.
