The number of forest-related offences is rising in the State. A total of 66,493 forest offences, involving 60,353 offenders, were detected in 2017-18 against 65,228 offences, involving 51,180 offenders detected in the preceding year, i.e. 2016-16.
It was revealed from the data furnished by Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh in response to a question of BJD member Prafulla Samal in the State Assembly on Tuesday.
According to the data, 7,952 cubic metre of timber and 630 vehicles were seized in 2017-18 against 1,915 cubic metre of timber worth Rs 279 lakh and 1,280 vehicles seized during the previous year.
The Minister further informed that 2,33,998 trees were felled for widening of roads and 17,253 trees cut for establishment of industries at different places in the State in 2018-19. During the year 2017-18, 1,13,978 trees had been felled for widening of roads and 13,612 cut for setting up of industries. During the last three years, 10,05,39,000 saplings have been planted under different prorgrammes, the Minister said.