68 trees chopped for road work

Mudur villagers cut huge trees which were adjacent to the main road in Jadkal Gram Panchayat limits. The trees were blocking the road development work.

Even as the Forest Department officials arrived at the spot, opposing the villagers move, the villagers did not heed to the officials and felled the trees.

The incident took place at Hulipare near Udaya Nagara in Kollur Police Station limits on Sunday night.

The incident comes in the backdrop of the government approving the proposal to widen the road that connects Jadkal and Mudur,  naxal infested areas.

 However, huge trees by the roadside were coming under forest department and were hindering the work on widening the road.

The villagers had not sought the permission of forest department to chop trees and also ignored court order on the issue.

On receiving the information, the Forest Department officials Sadanand, Roopesh and others arrived at the spot and urged the villagers not to fell the trees.

 But ignoring their order, the villagers continued the work which forced the forest department to file a complaint with the police.

Kollur station sub-inspector Dejappa and staff who arrived at the spot tried to persuade the villagers from chopping the trees. Kundapur Police Sub division DySP Shekhar Angadi and Kundapur Circle Inspector Madan G Gaonkar too visited the spot.

Eye witness said that the villagers had chopped over 100 trees worth crores of rupees. The traffic and power supply was disrupted following the felling off the trees in the region.

Cases registered

Cases have been registered against 45 villagers for interrupting the forest department officials from discharging their duty.

The Social Forestry Department officials who visited the spot said that as many as 68 trees were felled by the villagers.

The Central government’s permission was necessary to clear the trees in the   Mookambika Reserve Forest area.

Hence, no permission was given to widen the road, informed Wildlife division official P Soans.