Last month, during a thorough examination within the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR), which covers parts of Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari and Gariaband districts, high-ranking forestry officials uncovered a troubling situation. A significant number of trees, primarily Sal, Bija, and Tendu species, were discovered to have been girdled in the Karka region.
Girdling involves the removal of bark from the tree, disrupting its nutrient supply and ultimately leading to its death. Officials reported that more than 2,000 mature trees had fallen victim to this practice. The context of this discovery is notable, as the Karka area was home to villagers who were relocated nearly 40 years ago in the 1980s to facilitate the construction of a dam.
Further investigations, which included an analysis of satellite imagery, revealed that villagers had been returning to the area over the past 20 years. Allegedly, within the last decade, they have cleared approximately 30,000 trees from the protected forest for agricultural purposes.
Given that Karka is an essential part of a forest ecosystem and a wildlife corridor—particularly for elephants—this habitat degradation heightens the likelihood of conflicts between humans and wildlife, according to officials.
Historically, Karka was a forest village located within the catchment area of the Sondhur dam, and it was relocated during the dam’s construction in the 1980s. While forest authorities maintain that compensation was provided to those displaced, many villagers assert that they never received any financial assistance, which led them to remain in the area.
According to Varun Jain, the deputy director of USTR, “Departmental records indicate that 55 individuals received compensation from the Water Resources Department. Nonetheless, illegal encroachments and deforestation have occurred in the upstream forest areas.” A preliminary investigation using satellite images showed evidence of crop fields in the submerged area as early as 2006, with encroachment expanding to 22 hectares by 2016.
A Preliminary Offence Report (POR) was filed at that time, but the 20 individuals implicated were acquitted, and encroachment persisted, escalating to over 30 hectares by 2026.
During a recent assessment on September 22, forest officials documented significant forest degradation. “We estimate that over 2,500 trees have been girdled in recent years, leading to their gradual demise. This estimate is based on visual comparisons of tree density in adjacent forest areas,” Jain stated. He explained that imagery from 2016 showed a dense forest, while images from 2017 displayed a drastic decline in forest cover due to the girdling effect.
The forest team encountered strong opposition from approximately 40 to 50 villagers during their investigation, leading to a new POR against two of the villagers involved.
Conversely, about 32 families from Karka claim they continue to inhabit the reserve because they did not receive any compensation, unlike others who moved out. Bhagwan Singh, 32, shared with The Indian Express, “The 32 to 33 families never received compensation. Initially, the forest department offered us 5 acres and Rs 15 lakh to relocate, but after we declined, they began accusing us of encroachment.”
Support for these families has come from the Gram Sabha Federation, which represents all Gram Sabhas in tiger reserves. Its president, Ishwari Lal Netam, acknowledged that while tree girdling has occurred, the actual number may not be as high as reported by the forest department.
In contrast, a forest official noted that in 2020, the community was granted Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) over 2,208 hectares, which included responsibilities for forest protection, yet they have been involved in tree cutting instead. Appropriate actions are being considered in response to this situation.
The CFRR framework recognizes the rights to manage and conserve community forest resources sustainably. Currently, GPS mapping of the encroached areas is in progress, supported by drone technology that provides detailed imagery. This drone data will be compared with satellite images to accurately assess forest cover loss.
Jain informed The Indian Express that a recent DGPS drone survey was conducted with police oversight, and the results would be used to update the POR with the names of the accused, followed by issuing notices to vacate the encroached land.
Additionally, a departmental inquiry has been initiated against a beat guard and a range assistant who allegedly delayed the registration of the POR for 20 to 25 days after the situation was brought to their attention, raising suspicions of their complicity.
“In the past four years, the USTR administration has reclaimed 1,050 hectares of encroached forest land. However, our field staff, working with a 65% vacancy rate, have faced five attacks from villagers. Approximately 200 to 300 hectares within USTR remain encroached, including in Karka,” Jain concluded.
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. His extensive experience in frontline journalism encompasses coverage of the political, security, and humanitarian issues in Central India.
