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The move comes just a day after the government confiscated a grader used for illegal mining activities in the Patamela Territorial Forest Reserve between Songwe and Chunya districts.
Dr. Kigwangalla said that the decision to deploy special forces protect the country's natural resources, including minerals that were illegally mined.
He gave order when he went to the villagers of Mwaonga village in Chunya district, Mbeya.
The villagers are among those suspected of having contributed to the destruction of the territorial forest and the surrounding environment.
The minister insisted that punitive measures would be taken against anyone caught in the process of mining in the forest. "No one is allowed to carry out mining activities in the Patamela Territorial Forest Reserve, and security needs to be strengthened in all the forests," he said.
Dr. Kigwangalla called people interested in carrying out mining activities in the forest to follow the appropriate procedures and consulting forest managers.Amos Makalla promised to ensure the supervision of land and environmental laws.It ordered the responsible authorities to ensure the forest protection, insisting on taking punitive measures against any official who will allow mining activities to be conducted in reserve forests without a permit.
Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) manager in the Southern Highland area, Dr Masota Abel said that his institution will work closely with security forces and guards of private security companies s to ensure the protection of forests.
According to the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Environment, Makamba, about 372,000 hectares Every year, forests are cut down in the country
The Organization The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization states that 37.7% of the land area, or about 33,428,000 hectares, is forest and 240,000 hectares is planted forest.
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