A patch of forest land left over after the diversion for the VLF naval station in the Damagundam reserve forest may soon get erased due to encroachments, which the authorities have failed to address. This may put the entire project in jeopardy, as protection of the 360-acre forest land was a pre-condition for the forest clearance of the project.
A total of 1,174 hectares or over 2,900 acres from the Damagundam reserve forest in Vikarabad district was allocated for the naval station being established by the Eastern Naval Command. The second such facility in the country which could enhance the Indian Navy’s communication with ships and submarines, the station is set to become operational by 2027.
Several activists and environmentalists rose against the diversion of such a huge extent of forest land. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is still pending in the High Court against the project. It was reported on April 2 that the project has been given a green signal by the HC, but the PIL is kept alive to ensure the progress of compensatory afforestation.
Fresh allegations have surfaced that there were violations which might have been deliberately kept hidden from even the HC appointed Amicus Curiae who came for inspection. Sources say that the Forest Department officials, by not acting upon the encroachments, have washed their hands of the balance area and kept it open for more encroachments.
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had issued the Stage-II Forest Clearance for the project based on four preconditions, one of which is the retention of balance are as a forest block on one side, and protecting it by fencing it off.
“The State government shall ensure that the user agency would leave the balance 145.76 ha. area of reserve forest as a block on one side and fence it up with their cost,” the order said.
About 10 acres of the 360-acre block is already encroached upon in two different instances over the years, local people say. A litigation is pending in the High Court with regard to ‘encroachment’ by a well known resort, with a stay enforced on it for a few years. Another encroachment was by a farmer, who started with two acres, and extended it to close to eight acres.
While the user agency, Eastern Naval Command puts the responsibility of removing the encroachments on the Forest Department before the fencing work could start, the latter has allegedly looked away.
“In a few instances when the fencing work was attempted, they (the encroachers) incited a few workers who created a ruckus and stopped the machinery. Police refuse to give protection stating shortage of staff, and Forest department tries to present a picture that everything is hunky-dory,” a local person said, not willing to be quoted.
District Forest Officer, Vikarabad, G. Gyaneshwar, when queried, said the work was going on, and that an old encroachment of four to five acres would be cleared.
“Undisputed areas are generally fenced first. Once they reach this encroached area, they approach us for getting the area evicted [sic]. I think the work has not reached that area,” he said.
Published – May 28, 2026 08:48 pm IST
