Hyderabad: A group of tribal farmers tried to stop forest officials from digging a trench on forest land at Ootai village in Mahabubabad district’s Kothaguda Mandal on Thursday. When the officials were levelling podu land, they got into a dispute.
Farmers claimed that they farmed the areas in question and as such requested that the activity be halted. The forest officers departed from the scene after a heated exchange of words.
A crew of forest officials arrived on the scene with an earthmover to begin digging trenches to demarcate forest area boundaries on 100 to 120 hectares. Podu farmers arrived on the scene to impede the officers.
The Kothaguda Forest Range Officer (FRO) Md Wajahath told The New Indian Express (TNIE) that they have already begun excavating operations to defend the forest land.
“The staff was blocked by residents working forest land. We’ll return with police and revenue authorities to finish the task that’s been left undone,” he added.
