Mussoorie Forest Scam: Half of Missing Pillars Found, Questions Remain

Mussoorie Forest Scam: Nearly Half of Vanished Pillars Recovered

On 19 September 2025, The Probe reported on the shocking disappearance of 7,375 boundary pillars from the Mussoorie Forest Division—nearly 60 percent of its safeguards against encroachment. Now, in a major development, exclusive information obtained by The Probe from a highly placed source within the Uttarakhand forest department reveals that nearly half of those missing pillars have been recovered. Out of the 7,375 pillars earlier reported as missing, the forest department has been able to locate and recover approximately 4,700 boundary pillars. The remaining pillars, however, could not be found despite a thorough search.

The Original Revelation

The earlier story had exposed how thousands of boundary pillars—stone or concrete markers legally demarcating forest land—were uprooted or vanished over time, allegedly to aid powerful land mafias in encroaching on prime forest land. Our investigation also revealed how whistleblower IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi had raised the alarm, formally requesting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the scandal, only to face inaction and bureaucratic resistance.

Boundary pillars are stone or concrete markers installed by the Forest Department to clearly demarcate forest land. Each pillar carries a unique identification number, mapped in official records, to establish the exact extent of forest territory. Their role is both legal and ecological: they safeguard against encroachment, prevent disputes over land ownership, and serve as a physical reminder of the state’s custodianship of forests. 

A Shocking 2023 Survey

At the heart of the controversy was the March 2023 survey, which documented that 59.82 percent of boundary markers were missing in Mussoorie’s forests, with the Mussoorie and Raipur ranges alone accounting for nearly 80 percent of the vanished pillars. The findings had sparked widespread concerns over land grabs, forest loss, and collusion between mafias and corrupt officials.

On 28 August 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued a formal letter to the Uttarakhand government regarding the missing boundary pillars in the Mussoorie Forest Division. The Centre directed the state government to investigate the matter thoroughly and submit a detailed report on violations under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.

Syndicate Behind Disappearance for Years

A senior forest department source, speaking to The Probe, traced the problem back to its roots: “The initial boundary pillars were set up in the 1970s, but over time they began to disappear—and with their disappearance, large-scale encroachment also took hold. The budgetary allocation for boundary maintenance has been so minimal that conducting regular surveys has been nearly impossible. The technology we use is outdated and in urgent need of a complete overhaul. Above all, there must be strong will from the highest levels of government to punish encroachers, many of whom enjoy political patronage. The legal battles in such cases drag on for years, making it extremely difficult for the forest department to reclaim land.”

Fresh Exercise Recovers 4,700 Pillars

The source further revealed that a fresh verification exercise was recently carried out by forest officials in the Mussoorie Forest Range. “The team has been able to recover around 4,700 boundary pillars. The government has now decided to fully digitise all records related to boundary pillars and to introduce new, technology-enabled markers. These upgraded pillars will be equipped with features that ensure security and can alert the forest department immediately if they are tampered with,” the source said.

How Did Thousands of Pillars Suddenly Reappear?

The sudden recovery of nearly half the missing pillars has raised eyebrows. How did the 2023 DFO’s survey fail to trace them, and how have thousands of pillars suddenly reappeared in a new exercise? The contradictions raise serious questions about the accuracy of past surveys, possible manipulation of records in Mussoorie, and whether officials are attempting to underplay the scale of the scam.

Encroachments Persist Despite Recovery

The source also disclosed that while the new report does not directly document fresh encroachments, forest staff did observe encroached patches in areas where pillars remain missing. Officials admitted that many of these encroachments have persisted for years. Legal proceedings to clear them are still pending, but progress has been slow. In some cases, forest land was leased to private parties in Mussoorie who overstayed their tenure, refusing to return the land despite expiry of lease agreements. While eviction notices have been issued, long-drawn legal battles have kept the land under encroachers’ control.

Boundary Pillars Are Proof of Forest Ownership

To put the latest developments in perspective, The Probe spoke to Dr. V. K. Bahuguna, a 1979-batch IFS officer and Former Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE). He underlined the legal and ecological significance of boundary pillars: “Forest boundary pillars are made of concrete, and each one carries a unique number that is documented in the Working Plan and mapped officially. A boundary pillar is the fundamental proof that a particular tract of land belongs to the forest. Removing a pillar is not a trivial act—it is essentially an attempt to redraw the map of our forests. We must also remember that the area where these pillars have gone missing is a known hub of the land mafia. If nearly 60 percent of the pillars were reported missing, it inevitably means there must have been major encroachments. In my view, this is just the tip of the iceberg. A high-level enquiry must be constituted without delay.”

Accountability Still Missing

Dr. Bahuguna also raised sharp questions on accountability within the Mussoorie forest administration: “Do you think thousands of pillars disappeared in a single day? This has been happening in a planned and systematic manner for years. When a DFO reported that the pillars had gone missing, the obvious question is—what were the earlier DFOs doing? What were the forest range officers doing? Why has no one been held accountable? This points to clear connivance. I am convinced these pillars vanished because of the active involvement of forest officials, aided by political and government protection. We are not talking about one or two markers—it’s in thousands. I also doubt that this problem is confined to Mussoorie alone. It is very likely happening across other parts of Uttarakhand as well.”

He added: “I urge the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to take this issue seriously and order a comprehensive probe on how many boundary pillars have gone missing across the state’s forest ranges. Unless strict accountability is fixed, our forest wealth will continue to shrink under the shadow of encroachments.”