Forests disappearing in Bikramganj area in Rohtas

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Sasaram : The massive plantation programme of the government to maintain ecological balance has suffered a setbak under Bikramganj Sub-division in Rohtas district as a large number of trees have been felled by the locals for their personal use and even by the district administration on one excuse or the other. A dense forest like area under Bikramganj in Rohtas district, home to a number of animals like Deer, Neelgai (blue cows), Fox, Black Deer, Wild Boars and several varieties of birds, is fast disappearing rendering the wild animals homeless.

The trees including fruit trees were grown on several acres of private lands long back and even the government planted lakhs of saplings of trees on the government and private lands to maintain ecological balance but the people cut hundreds of trees due to commercial greed and personal need in recent years. The felling of trees  is still going on. They never bother to plant tree in place of felled trees causing disappearance of forest from the area. Even the district administration cut hundreds of threes in the name of beautification and widening of roads. As a result, the homeless wild animals occasionally attack the villagers and cattle in areas bordering the forest. The people hunt the animals and birds right under the nose of the district administration.

The officials of the Environment and Forest department said that the department is helpless in maintaining the forests as most of them are on private land. On the other hand, the local people alleged said that the trees are cut in connivance with the officials of the department and requested the government to take stern action against the persons involved in illegal cutting of trees to protect the forests in the area.