Gariaband, Apr 26 (PTI) As many as 22 people, including five women, have been arrested for alleged encroachment bid and destruction of forest land in the core area of the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR) in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district, forest officials said on Sunday.
The accused were nabbed on Saturday from reserved forest areas of Nakbel/Ghotbeda under the Sitanadi forest range after they allegedly attempted to encroach upon forest land while carrying arms, they said, adding that a search is underway for 25 other accused.
According to forest officials, the group was involved in felling trees, clearing vegetation, and setting up temporary huts on around 20 hectares of forest land, causing damage to wildlife habitat.
Officials seized axes, knives, spades, felled timber, bicycles and other materials, and registered cases under relevant provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The accused were remanded in judicial custody on Sunday and shifted to Raipur and Dhamtari.
In a separate incident, three persons from Odisha were arrested for alleged poaching activities in the buffer zone of the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, officials said.
They were attempting to catch fish by mixing toxic forest leaves in a stream near a waterfall on Saturday.
A case has been registered against them under provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, and they were produced before a court in Devbhog and remanded to judicial custody in Gariaband jail.
Officials said anti-poaching teams, along with local police, have intensified surveillance in the tiger reserve to curb illegal activities such as encroachment, tree felling and poaching.