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Key Points

Tripura is taking bold steps to protect its rich forest resources by creating a specialized intelligence wing within the Forest Department. The initiative involves recruiting personnel from police and Tripura State Rifles to combat illegal tree felling and timber smuggling. Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma emphasized that development should not come at the cost of environmental destruction. The state, which has nearly 62% forest coverage, is committed to preserving its green heritage through strategic interventions and continuous plantation drives.

Key Points: Tripura Forest Dept Creates Intelligence Wing to Combat Deforestation

  • Forest Department will establish dedicated intelligence wing to track illegal activities
  • TSR troops to be deployed for forest protection
  • State aims to balance development with forest conservation
3 min read

Tripura: Forest Dept to form intelligence wing to curb deforestation

Tripura Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma launches strategic initiative to protect forests, combat illegal logging and timber smuggling

"Protecting forests is essential for protecting human life. - Animesh Debbarma, Forest Minister"

Agartala, May 1

In a bid to curb deforestation, illegal felling of trees and timber smuggling, the Tripura Forest Department would create its own intelligence wing and strengthen its own protection unit, Minister Animesh Debbarma said on Thursday.

Forest Minister Debbarma said that initially, the Forest Department would take personnel from the Tripura Police to deploy them in the proposed intelligence wing of the Forest Department, but subsequently, the department would recruit fresh staff for the intelligence division.

“I have also requested Chief Minister Manik Saha to deploy a reasonable number of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) troops to protect the forest and forest produce. These TSR personnel would work under senior forest officials,” the minister told IANS.

Trained in counter-insurgency operations, the elite TSR has 14 battalions. Debbarma, who also holds the Science, Technology and Environment Department, said that to protect the forest and its resources, major steps must be taken immediately.

He said that Tripura’s main resource forests have become vulnerable because of illegal felling of trees, timber smuggling, and various other illicit activities.

“The prevailing situation in the forest areas appears to be challenging for the forest guards and other forest officials. Smuggling, illegal felling of trees, poaching, and human activities on protected forest areas have increased in multiple ways in the state.”

On Wednesday, the minister at a function at the Tripura State Forest Academy in Hatipara in West Tripura, handed over 58 motorcycles to forest range officials. The Minister underlined that development efforts must not come at the cost of destroying forests.

“Protecting forests is essential for protecting human life. True development must revolve around conservation, not deforestation,” he stated.

Pointing out that forests cover nearly 62 per cent of Tripura’s landmass, Debbarma questioned the necessity of the state’s growing number of national highways, many of which have led to extensive tree felling.

The minister earlier said that since January 2022, and until recently, 11,460 old trees were officially felled for the widening of various national highways in Tripura.

He said that before cutting down the trees, the state government had taken permission from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and followed the other formalities.

Debbarma further said that the Tripura Chief Minister on July 5 last year led the state-level mass plantation drive with the mission of ‘5 lakh saplings in 5 minutes’ to increase the forest cover in the northeastern state.

Debbarma said that before the state-level mass plantation drive, the Forest Department had distributed over seven lakh saplings among students, clubs, organisations, banks, and central and state security forces.

“Our effort to plant trees would not be limited to a single event. The mass plantation drive would continue in the upcoming monsoon period and beyond,” the minister stated.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Pranav K.
Finally some concrete action! The forests of Tripura are our green gold. Illegal logging has been rampant for years. Hope this intelligence wing has teeth to catch the timber mafia. 🌳 But why recruit from police first? Forest crimes need specialized knowledge.
M
Meena R.
Good initiative but I'm skeptical. Same politicians allow highway expansion by cutting thousands of trees, then talk about conservation. Hypocrisy much? Plantation drives are good but can't replace decades-old trees. Need stricter enforcement against all deforestation, including "legal" ones.
A
Arjun S.
Using TSR jawans for forest protection is brilliant! These brave men know the terrain well from counter-insurgency days. Hope they get proper training in environmental laws too. Northeast's biodiversity is national treasure - must protect at all costs. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
S
Sunita P.
As someone from Tripura, this gives me hope! Our forests feed rivers, prevent landslides and give livelihood to tribal communities. But minister sahab, please ensure local tribal youth get jobs in this new wing - they know the forests best. Also monitor the saplings survival rate!
R
Rahul D.
Why not involve local communities as forest protectors? Give them stakes in conservation. In many villages, people protect forests better than officials. Also need transparency in tree felling data - how many cut vs how many planted? Survival rate of saplings?
N
Neha T.
Good step but needs public support too. We citizens must report illegal activities. Those 58 motorcycles for forest officials - hope they're electric! Irony if pollution increases while protecting forests. Also, what about bamboo smuggling? That's big business too in Northeast.

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