Ranchi's Angara block, with ravishing waterfalls Jonha and Hundru, Getalsud Dam and dense vegetation, could have become a tourism hotspot but instead is playing host to illegal trade involving large-scale felling of trees and stone mining in its protected forestlands.

Teak, banyan and peepal logs stacked on dirt tracks and trucks laden with stone boulders and chips are a common sight on entering Angara, a block where 80 per cent of forests are protected. Hardly 30km from the capital, it makes a mockery of chief minister Raghubar Das's recent promise to enforce stringent curbs on illegal mining.

Signs of human destruction were visible on Saturday when this correspondent entered Pahar Singh, a forested hill 7km from Jonha falls on Ranchi-Silli Road. Though it looked dense from the outside, 200 metres inside the forest revealed cut trunks and huge heaps of stone chips.

"It's the Saturday haat, so work is halted. From Sunday onwards, you will find trucks ferrying illegally mined stones to eight or 10 crushing units in Angara itself," said a retired forester. "I have alerted forest department but no action was taken," he rued.

No resident from a minority-dominated hamlet near Pahar Singh chose to talk. The forester explained why.

"The stone and wood mafia lure these youths with money for these jobs. As they have no livelihood options, they willingly do the jobs," he said.

On the other side of Pahar Singh, Jintu Piri revealed similar ecological degradation. Tree felling is evident in forest tracts of Hesalbera, Hehegara and Sisko near Getalsud Dam.

"Of Angara's 23 panchayats, I believe Gurudih is the worst affected," said a social worker. "At least two trucks of logs are smuggled out of its forests every week. There is a forest department checkpost at Angara block and a police station nearby but no one stops them. Lagta hai raat mein sab sote hain. (Seems everyone sleeps at night)," he laughed wryly.

Like the forester, the social worker is willing to speak but unwilling to be named.

"There are powerful politicians and bureaucrats backing illegal stone mining and timber businesses. Why risk identifying myself?" he said.

Ranchi divisional forest officer Rajiv Lochan Bakshi said he would have to look into records to detail exact areas and illegal operations, if any.

On tree felling in Jintu Piri, he claimed DVC transmission lines were being set up. "We seized a truck of logs a couple of days back but later released it after we came to know about the project," said Bakshi.

Contacted, BDO Dipmala was more forthcoming. "Our work pressure leaves us with no time to conduct raids regularly, specially when we have to travel inside forest areas. I will look into these issues," she told The Telegraph.

"In the past, I did review licences of stone crusher units and directed those who did not possess clearances to shut shop. But even you would know not everyone takes orders seriously unless they are followed by punitive action," she added.

On the role of the police, Angara thana OC Govind Prasad Gupta sounded helpless. "God promise, I want this business to stop once and for all," Gupta said. "No way are the police hand in glove in this business. I can show you my cellphone messages that I send to the forest department when I get information about trucks ferrying trees or stones after midnight. They do nothing," the OC claimed.

Who can effectively stop Angara's plunder? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com