DK forest department grapples with staff shortage

MANGALURU: With chances of

wildfires

increasing and the forest fire that singed

Bandipur range

still fresh in memory, the

forest department

has its task cut out.


However, the

Mangaluru forest division

is short-staffed to face such an eventuality.

There is a visible dearth in the strength of personnel below the rank of

range forest officer

(RFO) – from a deputy range forest officer (DRFO) to a forest watcher – who form the primary points of contact in case of an exigency. The total sanctioned staff below RFO for Mangaluru division is 271. However, only 186 positions are currently filled, constituting only 68.63% of the total sanctioned strength, according to data obtained from the department of forests.

In Subrahmanya sub division alone, of the sanctioned strength of 29 DRFOs, as many as 20 positions are vacant. The vast canvas of 58,458 hectares of forest land, the highest among the three subdivisions in Mangaluru division – the other two being Puttur and Mangaluru subdivisions – is being maintained by only nine DRFOs. The government apathy towards forests can further be gauged from the fact that these nine DRFOs are given only 40 of the 64 sanctioned forest guards and 10 forest watchers.

The Puttur subdivision is in dire need of another 10 DRFOs with only 17 of the sanctioned strength of 27 currently shouldering the responsibility of monitoring the health of 37,910 hectares of forests. They are assisted by 39 forest guards and 11 watchers.

The Mangaluru subdivision, encompassing 15,027 hectare land in Bantwal and Belthangady, fares relatively better in terms of recruitment with 18 of the 25 DRFO posts being occupied. They are assisted by 36 of the sanctioned 39 forest guards and six of the total 10 sanctioned forest watchers.

Officials said the government has been recruiting personnel on a regular basis. However, the

shortage

is because of the unwillingness of the

recruits

to serve in this part of the state. “We are now sending fresh recruits on priority to these areas so the health of forests in this region, too, is well maintained,” V Karikalan, deputy conservator of forests, Mangaluru division, told TOI.

In a positive development, the sub-division will get three anti-fire and anti-poaching watch towers, each at Belthangady, Subrahmanya and Uppinangady. Work pertaining to construction of these watch towers is almost completed at Uppinangady and Belthangady while the one at Subrahmanya will be ready soon, Karikalan said.


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.