About 12 lakh acres of forest land, especially in Godavari Valley, covering districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam, has been encroached, Forum for https://exam.pscnotes.com/good-Governance“>Good Governance (FGG) said.
Stating that the encroachment was caught on satellite imagery, FGG said if the 12 lakh acres of podu cultivation is regularised, it will lead to more encroachments. It warned that in the next 10 years, there may not be any forest land left in Telangana thanks to rampant podu cultivation
Criticising the Political Parties for demanding regularisation of podu cultivation, he said they should see the larger interests of the state and Environment and not make it as an election issue.
He said the forest department was unable to control podu cultivation and in the process 2.5 lakh acres of forest land, which was encroached mostly by people of neighbouring states, was regularised. “With the tacit support of Naxalites and a few political parties, illegal occupation of forests for podu cultivation continued,” Reddy said.