| DFO says its normal, as per procedure | | Indiscriminate cutting of Khair trees raises eyebrows | |  ASHWANI SHARMA
Early Times Report
UDHAMPUR, May 28: A contractor entrusted with the job of cutting Khair trees has allegedly chopped the green gold much more in numbers than what was sanctioned by the concerned Forest authorities of Ramnagar in district Udhampur.
Sources informed that trees were cut illegally in Dandal, Birmoo, and Kirmoo areas falling under the jurisdiction of Ramnagar Forest Division in the month of March this year.
“The trees which have been cut included both, marked and unmarked,” the locals alleged. Some environmentalists while expressing grave concern over the development opined that the forests should be saved at any cost, however, the mafia is hell bent upon looting the green gold by indulging in indiscriminate falling of trees under the very nose of the concerned authorities. When contacted, DFO Ramnagar Forest Division, Kuldeep Kumar said that work of cutting trees was completed in the month of March but as the lockdown was announced the contractor, who was assigned the work felt that labour may not be available in future which prompted him to finish the job in a hurry.
“The process was completed in a hurry and it was decided that later on the fallen trees would be marked. But the entire exercise was normal and done as per procedure,” the DFO maintained.
Sources, however, alleged that if the process of cutting trees can be done in the lockdown period, then why did the department forgot to mark the chopped trees?, adding that it was only a part of the practice to cut the trees illegally.
It is pertinent to mention here that Khair wood has a great demand in the furniture market and the timber mafia often resorts to its illegal falling allegedly in active connivance with the Forest officials.
|
|
