By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The Uttarakhand cabinet has recently approved a proposal to digitize the demarcation of forests through Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping to prevent illegal encroachments and resolve disputes related to forest boundaries.
“I am happy that the proposal to digitize the demarcation of the forests in Uttarakhand has been approved by the state cabinet during my tenure,” said Samir Sinha, who retired as Head of the Forest Force (HOFF) on Sunday (Nov 30).
A work agency has already been hired to implement the cabinet decision which aims to clearly demarcate the forest boundaries to help resolve the longstanding disputes of illegal occupation of forest land across the State. Scores of illegally built Mazars and structures were recently demolished by the state government which were built on forest lands.
“This system of digitization of boundaries is highly accurate and there is no space for any dispute,” said Sinha. Earlier, the boundaries were driven by paper works but now everything will be decided by GIS mapping, said Sinha.
And now all the pillars for demarcation will be erected on the basis of GIS mapping, Sinha said.
Recently, the Mussoorie Forest Division was in news as 7375 pillars were allegedly disappeared that caused big uproar in the state. Disputes like the one related to Mussoorie Forest Division would not be heard any more in near future once the demarcation process is completed through digitization, forest officials said.
After prolonged discussions, the Forest department had prepared the proposal for the project, which was later put before the State cabinet. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhyani took keen interest and gave his green signal, the officials said.
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will guide the implementation of digital mapping and subsequent actions.
The digitized mapping will also help the government in clearly marking forest boundaries, which will prevent new cases of encroachment and assist in identifying existing ones.
This will be the first time Uttarakhand undertakes digital mapping for forest demarcation. Disputes over boundaries have continued for decades, often leading to confusion between local residents, revenue authorities and the Forest department. The lack of clear records has made enforcement difficult.
The digital process will create uniformity and reduce the chances of further disputes.