In a major crackdown on Khair wood smuggling, the Jawahar and Dahanu Forest Divisions seized over 15 tonnes of the valuable wood near Charoti on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway. The consignment was intercepted during an overnight operation led by Deputy Conservator of Forests Saipun Sheikh
Forest officials recovers the 15-tonne Khair wood haul near Charoti
In what can be termed a major jolt to gangs involved in the smuggling of Khair wood (Acacia catechu), the Jawahar Forest Division, along with the Dahanu Forest Division, seized more than 15 tonnes of Khair wood on Friday morning on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway near Charoti, approximately 110 km north of Mumbai. The wood is in high demand as it is used to produce 'Kattha,' an essential ingredient in pan and gutkha.
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The operation was led by Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) – Jawahar Forest Division, Saipun Sheikh.
DCF Saipun Sheikh said, "A huge Khair wood truck consignment on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Highway was intercepted near Charoti by the Kasa team in Dahanu, with the Jawahar team as backup overnight. This is the fifth truck (in the last six months) caught jointly on the highway while heading towards Chiplun. This seizure is significant, considering the ongoing High Court case regarding the Khair wood industry."
Over the years, there has been a rise in the smuggling of Khair wood. The forest department conducts regular raids to apprehend Khair wood smugglers.
For over a decade, catechu trees have been in high demand, as Khair is a key ingredient in gutka and pan masala. The Khair wood is transported to Haryana via road, where it is later used to manufacture gutka and pan masala.
Maharashtra: Missing tiger spotted in Dharashiv, to be captured
While the Maharashtra forest department is making all possible efforts to capture the tiger that walked 500 kilometres from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Yavatmal to Solapur, the forest department officials told mid-day that the foliage and undergrowth are causing a challenge to dart the tiger, which has been sighted in Dharashiv.
Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) Kushagra Pathak from the Solapur Forest Department said, “We are continuously monitoring the movement of the tiger using camera traps and drones. We have the location of the tiger, but we are unable to dart the tiger as there is no clear view due to the foliage. The tiger is currently in the Dharashiv division, and there have been few instances of cattle kills. Our teams are present on the ground, and we are hopeful of capturing the tiger soon.”
To get a clear shot to tranquillise the tiger, the animal has to be properly visible or in an open area. Officials said that once captured, the young male tiger will be released in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve. The reserve, which is 300 kilometres from Mumbai, is spread across Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Ratnagiri districts.
According to the sources, the tiger might have travelled from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary to Painganga Sanctuary in Yavatmal, and from there, it to Nanded district in Marathwada and from there to Latur, and then to Yedshi Ramalinga Wildlife Sanctuary in Dharashiv district.
Some farmers in the Solapur district had brought to the notice of the forest department that in the past weeks there had been an increase in the attack on cattle, following which the department installed camera traps in which the tiger was captured. This is the first recorded sighting of the tiger in the Dharashiv district.
The male tiger, born in Tipeshwar in 2022, is the cub of tigress T-22 from the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. Researchers say that the male tiger, who is about 2.5 years old, might have travelled in search of new territory.
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