Shevgaon forest tourism centre lies shut without water, three officials give three versions

The forest tourism centre built with crores of rupees in Shevgaon taluka for nature lovers is lying shut, existing only on paper. Administrative indifference, weak planning and a severe water shortage have brought the project to a halt. The centre has been kept closed citing drought, but responsible officials of the department have given contradictory statements on the matter, raising questions about the functioning of the Forest Department.

The Forest Department spent crores of rupees to set up the centre so that people of Shevgaon and nature lovers would get good facilities. But the planning failed on the ground. The groundwater level of the project's well has dropped and the well has dried up completely. Repeated attempts were made to get a tanker or water from the municipal council, but the council has also thrown up its hands because the town itself faces a severe water shortage.

Officials have expressed helplessness, saying that in drought conditions drinking water for people and animals has to come first, so watering the trees is not possible. They also say that even if a new borewell is dug, the chances of striking water there are very slim. The question therefore arises why the project was built at a cost of crores of rupees when a reliable source of water was not known.

When the media spoke to Forest Department officials on the matter, three different officials gave three different accounts. Forest guard Balkrishna Bade said the forest tourism centre is open from 9 am to 11 am. Forester Sandeep Ekshinge said to the contrary that no, the centre is open all day.

Divisional Forest Officer Dharmveer Sal Vitthal dismissed the claims of both. He said the centre has not even been officially inaugurated yet and that some trees remain to be planted because of the lack of water. Thus responsible officials of the same department are unable to say in one voice whether the project is operational or closed. This shows how lax the department's functioning is.

People in Shevgaon are angry. They say officials have squandered public funds and set up projects only on paper, and are now defending themselves by giving muddled answers to journalists. They say the people of Shevgaon will not tolerate an attempt to cover up unplanned work by using drought as a shield.

The people of Shevgaon have demanded an immediate high-level inquiry into the officials who wasted public funds in this manner and gave false statements to mislead the public. They have warned that if the project is not repaired at the earliest and a reliable water source is not created, and if strict administrative action is not taken against the guilty officials, a sharp agitation will be launched in front of the Forest Department office.