Rajkot: A major case of illegal tree felling has come to light in Bhavnagar district, raising serious concerns about wildlife habitat destruction. Around 1,700 trees were allegedly felled and taken away from the Rajasthali vidi (forest grassland reserve) over several weeks.Forest department officials have booked a forester, Karshan Gohil; a beat guard, Kalpesh Dabhi; a truck owner and two labourers for the felling.According to sources, forest department officials first intercepted a truck carrying illegally felled timber on May 9. Initially, the authorities believed it to be an isolated case. Further investigation revealed large-scale tree felling had been going on for three to four weeks. Officials later found that more than 1,680 mature trees had been cut down in the reserved forest area.Under forest department rules, trees with a girth above 23 centimetres cannot be cut without approval from the competent authorities. Sources said no such permission had been granted. The alleged illegal felling reportedly took place when the assistant conservator of forests was on leave and the newly appointed range forest officer had only recently taken charge.The felled trees had girths ranging from 100 to 200 centimetres. The wood was allegedly supplied to sawmills and charcoal producers. The affected reserve serves as an important wildlife corridor for lions, leopards, chinkara, chital, nilgai and several bird species.Spread over 563 hectares, the grassland is ecologically significant for maintaining the region’s fauna. Forest officials reportedly took three days to assess the scale of destruction and count the number of trees felled.Several native tree species were destroyed, including acacia, guggal, neem and bordi, some specimens of which were decades old.The Bhavnagar in-charge deputy conservator of forests, Akshay Joshi, confirmed that an offence has been registered under Sections 26, 41, 52, 63, and 75 of the Indian Forest Act, and provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act related to habitat destruction. The matter is currently under investigation.Environmental experts warn that destruction of grasslands directly affects herbivores that depend on them for survival, weakening the prey base for predators. Habitat loss also increases human-wildlife conflict, forcing animals to move closer to villages and livestock in search of food.
