SUKKUR: More than 4,000 acres of forest land was retrieved from unauthorised growers and farmers on Sunday in the second phase of a big operation launched a last week by the forest department in coordination with the Sukkur and Ghotki district administrations.

The operation has been launched in compliance with the apex court’s relevant directives.

A strong contingent of the area police escorted the officials, workers and labourers engaged in dismantaling watering machines, tubewells and other agricultural equipment and in destroying the crops grown on the occupied lands.

The day-long operation covered forest lands in the Sadhoja area of Pannu Aqil in Sukkur district and Wahidpur area of Ghotki district.

Forest officer Arif Ali Jagirani told the media that several advance notices were served to the occupants of the lands asking them to vacate them voluntarily as the lands’ lease had been cancelled by the Sindh government. However, he added, the occupants continued to cultivate the lands prompting the department to destroy their crops and retrieve the property.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2019