DFO Tangmarg Takes Cognizance of Viral Deforestation Video, Constitutes High-Level Committee
Tangmarg, Dec 22:
Taking cognizance of a viral video alleging deforestation in the Drung–Danwas area, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Tangmarg Feroz Chaket has constituted a high-level committee to verify the claims and assess the actual situation on the ground.
According to official sources, the committee has been formed to examine the authenticity of the video that surfaced on social media and to conduct an immediate spot inspection of the reported forest area under the Special Forest Division, Tangmarg.
As per the official order, the committee comprising senior field officials has been directed to carry out a detailed reconnaissance of the area. The team will identify and enumerate freshly damaged trees, undertake species-wise classification, physically verify stumps to prevent manipulation, prepare an inventory of damaged material, and assess signs of tool use, access routes, or extraction paths. Statements of locals may also be recorded wherever required for factual verification.
The committee has been instructed to submit a signed, factual report within one day, supported by geo-tagged photographs, mapped coordinates of affected locations, and recommendations for further action.
However, the incident has also raised serious questions about ground-level forest protection. Sources indicate that the Forest Force on duty had no prior information about the alleged damage, bringing into question the effectiveness of surveillance and monitoring mechanisms. Critics argue that the forest protection system increasingly resembles a “tiger without teeth” — visible in structure but ineffective in deterrence.
Questions are also being raised about the role and utility of the Forest Protection Force, with locals alleging that the force largely remains confined to barracks and plays little to no active role in forest protection on the ground. The absence of timely detection of such alleged damage has intensified debate over whether the force is being utilised effectively for its intended purpose.
The development follows public outrage after the video showing alleged tree cutting in Danwas area of Khag went viral on social media, prompting demands for accountability and stronger enforcement of forest protection laws.
Authorities are now under pressure to not only ascertain the facts related to the viral video but also to review the effectiveness of existing forest protection mechanisms to prevent such incidents in the future