The Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Nagaland has flagged large-scale encroachment on government-purchased forest land at Lokhipahar in Jaboka village under Tizit sub-division of Nagaland. A team led by Principal Secretary Y. Kikheto Sema conducted a field inspection of the Lokhipahar forest land on April 22 following a Cabinet directive. Senior forest officials, including Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Vedpal Singh, also joined the inspection.
According to officials, the 2,138-hectare land was purchased by the government in 1977 for conservation, ecological restoration and forest protection. However, the inspection found that a large portion of the area had allegedly been encroached upon over the past three decades through plantation activities such as tea, bamboo and betel nut cultivation by nearby villages. Officials said only a small section of the land currently remains under the control of the forest department.
During the visit, Kikheto directed forest officials to conduct detailed drone surveys and GPS mapping to determine the exact extent of encroachment. The team also stressed the need for boundary demarcation, installation of permanent boundary pillars and fresh land surveys to protect the forest area.
