x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   Doctors - The Unsung Heroes of Healthcare | WHEN RS 10 FEELS EXPENSIVE ON A CART, BUT NOT IN A CAFE | Urdu For Naib Tehsildar Recruitment Test | Yatri Niwas in Srinagar | LG Sinha inaugurates SASB Yatri Niwas at Pantha Chowk | LG launches campaign for zero-waste pilgrimage | 'Amarnath Yatra arrangements upgraded' | Heroin worth Rs. 420 crore seized in Rajasthan; Pak-based smuggler, Canada handler named | Within minutes after formation of PAC, NC mocks Sajad Lone’s new political front as ‘BJP’s B-Team’ | CM Omar calls for revival of buyer-creator relationship at SKICC Meet | Salal Dam gates opened amid rising Chenab Water levels | DGP chairs joint security review meeting in Anantnag, visits key areas | Major reshuffle in ACB J&K | From warzone to homeland: Kashmiri students hail India’s rescue mission with tricolour cheers | Security Forces bolster security with hi-tech gadgets | Token distribution for registration begins | Security Forces conduct joint mock drill | India woman footballer Soumya undergoes surgery after nasal bone fracture | Lack of variety in India's bowling attack is concerning: Chappell | National-level minor boxer alleges sexual harassment by woman coach | | MCM launches workshop on Skill Development, Entrepreneurship | GDC Kathua honours NCC Cadet Mohit Kanathia with grand welcome ceremony | Missing person traced from Pallanwala within 2 days | JKHCBAJ unveiles Portrait of Maharaja Hari Singh ji, inaugurated | Four JKAS Officers transferred In Transport Dept Reshuffle | J&K police arrest 87 in drug crackdown, seize narcotics worth Rs 2.42 Cr | Gross GST collections double in 5 years to record Rs 22.08 trillion in FY25 | Srinagar police attaches residential property worth Rs 50 lakh | SKUAST-K holds workshop in Gurez to promote revival of heritage crops | Reasi police solves two theft cases in Katra, accused arrested, stolen property | Union Minister Piyush Goyal to lead transformative FTII Traders conclave | Congress holds impressive Jai Hind Yatra in Poonch City, salutes armed forces, martyrs | Warm, affectionate farewell accorded to retirees of Agriculture Department Jammu | DC Shopian inspects work of rural development projects at Keller | Former JKNPP leaders, senior workers join Apni Party | Committee on Petitions holds meeting in Srinagar | 6000 students participate in NMMSS examination | Ladakh PM Vishwakarma artisans participate in MSME Day celebration | Vi Business’s ready for next - India’s largest digital advisory celebrates growth on MSME day | Indian Army pays tribute to Ex-Serviceman | Civil Defence, Jammu started 5 days CD training programme | Warm send off accorded to Sardar Dharminder Singh Bhargav Head Pharmacist from DHS-J | JKEDI concludes second batch of MDPs in 10 districts | Handicrafts, Handloom Deptt condoles demise of father of Mussrat Islam | IGNOU launches certificate programme for Nurse Managers to Strengthen Managerial Competencies in Nursing Services | Back Issues  
 
news details
Timber smuggling on rise in Bhadarwah during lockdown
4/8/2020 9:58:43 PM
Early Times Report

Bhadarwah, Apr 8: While the ongoing lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus has ground life to a halt for most people across the country, timber smugglers have stepped up their activities in Jammu and Kashmir’’s Bhadarwah valley to “inflict maximum damage in minimum time”.
Over a dozen cases of timber smuggling were reported in Bhadarwah Forest Division (BFD) on Tuesday alone even as forest officials have joined hands with police and ramped up operations to arrest the alarming trend, officials said on Wednesday.
Located at a height of 6,000 feet, Bhadarwah is a mountainous valley home to thick coniferous forests. However, illegal deforestation by timber mafia is depleting the forest cover rapidly.
“We have verified the incidents and found that unscrupulous elements are taking advantage of the lack of movement (of officials) during the lockdown to steal the forest wealth. They use diesel cutters which inflict maximum damage in minimum time,” Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Bhadarwah, Chander Shekhar said.
In the first two weeks of the 21-day lockdown, which began on March 25, 10 cases have been registered against 14 people, he said.
Two timber smugglers were arrested on Tuesday and 14 illegally run sawmills were sealed in Neeru range, 1286.9 cubic feet of timber extracted illegally from green cedars and pine trees and nine heavy mechanical diesel cutters were seized from Tanta Panchayat in Chirala range over the past four days, he added.
The DFO said the department has requested the police and Forest Protection Force (FPF) to help it fight the forest mafia.
“The police and the FPF acted swiftly and a joint operation was launched which is going on at various places in the forest division,” Shekhar said. Night patrolling has also been intensified which led to the arrest of two smugglers -- Safdar Hussain of Domail and Sajjad Hussain of Doda -- who were stealing timber scants from the divisional office, Bhadarwah on Tuesday, he said.
To tighten the noose around the timber mafia, Shekhar said, “A dossier has also been prepared against habitual offenders who will be soon booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA).”
He sought people’’s cooperation to help the authorities deal with the menace.
“The residents need to come forward and provide information about those indulging in looting the forest,” he said.
  Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network  
  Comment on this Story  
 
 
 
Early Times Android App
STOCK UPDATE
  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty
 
CRICKET UPDATE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Home About Us Top Stories Local News National News Sports News Opinion Editorial ET Cetra Advertise with Us ET E-paper
 
 
J&K RELATED WEBSITES
J&K Govt. Official website
Jammu Kashmir Tourism
JKTDC
Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board
Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board
Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board
UTILITY
Train Enquiry
IRCTC
Matavaishnodevi
BSNL
Jammu Kashmir Bank
State Bank of India
PUBLIC INTEREST
Passport Department
Income Tax Department
JK CAMPA
JK GAD
IT Education
Web Site Design Services
EDUCATION
Jammu University
Jammu University Results
JKBOSE
Kashmir University
IGNOU Jammu Center
SMVDU