Palamau Tiger Reserve is in immediate need of a powered patrol boat to monitor the forests where illegal tree felling and smuggling of logs are rampant.

Deputy director South division, Mukesh Kumar said, “To check felling of trees and its smuggling, a patrol boat is required for the riverine areas in the South division of the Palamau Tiger Reserve.”

Kumar said, “Our South division is crisscrossed by the river called Burha Nadi. On the yonder side of this river is the protected forest, Bandua, rich in high commercial value timber. This year we had heavy rainfall and Burha Nadi has still waist-deep water, patrolling for the riverine side of the protected forest is just not possible.”

Kumar stated that they need a powered boat for patrolling with a capacity of 6 people to sit in the boat.

Kumar also informed that his team very recently seized a pair of spotted deer horns at Bandua under the Bareysarn range of the Palamau Tiger Reserve. He further added that their team seized more than 200 sawn timbers too.

“We have identified the offenders and a case is registered under wildlife protection act as well as in the forest act since felling of trees is a major offense as it destroys the habitat and biodiversity,” he informed, adding that now the tree fellers and the smugglers have gone into hiding.

According to sources, Mahuadarn is becoming a major illicit timber steal market as timbers from here are being smuggled for the neighborhood Chhattisgarh.