An anti-encroachment drive in the Jhanjhar area of Burhanpur's Nepanagar forest range turned violent on Sunday morning when a mob of illegal occupants pelted stones at the joint task force involved in the operation.
Officials Injured in Attack
A revenue inspector, a patwari, and the driver of an earth moving machine were injured in the incident. The driver, identified as Kamal Bansal, sustained head injuries after being hit by a stone, causing him to lose control of the vehicle, which then overturned. He was rushed to the district hospital and is reported to be out of danger.
Massive Force Deployed
A force of over 500 personnel from the forest, police, and revenue departments—drawn from Burhanpur, Khandwa, Khargone, and Barwaha—reached the forest area at 11 am to clear the illegal settlements. According to forest officials, despite having been served eviction notices, the encroachers refused to vacate the land.
Violence Erupts
As the team commenced the demolition, a group of over 150 people started pelting stones at them. The violence resulted in damage to three earth moving machines. The task force managed to clear 49 temporary huts across approximately 190 hectares of forest land. Anti-encroachment trenches were also dug to prevent future re-occupation.
Officials Vow to Continue
DFO Vidyabhushan Singh stated that the drive targeted ineligible occupants—persons from outside the district who failed to provide proof of residency prior to 2005. "The operation will continue as per the law. We have identified those involved in the violence and are registering forest offences and criminal cases against them," Singh said.
