Majid Ahmad
Srinagar, Sept 15: Despite tall claims by the government of controlling timber smuggling, the failure to put in place a proper mechanism to protect forests is facilitating unbridled felling of trees in Pir Panjal, Lidder, Bandipora and some other divisions of Kashmir.
Sources told Early Times that timber smugglers were systematically felling the prized Deodar and Kail trees in upper reaches of Budgam including Doodh Gagna, Raithan and Beerwah ranges, Khag, Drang, Doodhpathri, Suchalpathri, Kandajan and Palmaidan. Similar reports were also received from Lidder, Bandipora and other divisions.
"They burn the stems of trees and ferry the timber logs on horses. The logs are then cut into different sizes in illegal saw mills owned mostly by timber smugglers," sources said and added the forest officials have failed to take any action against the smugglers.
Locals of Budgam complained a great game is underway between government officials and timber smugglers. "In the day, the slopes are guarded by Forest Department personnel, but in the night, it's the smugglers whose writ runs large," they said.
"We have many times informed the authorities about vandalization of forests. But our requests were not heeded. The smugglers have spread a reign of terror and in fact run their own administration. If this goes on, after few years Budgam would turn into a desert," they lamented.
Smugglers have plundered the slopes of Karewa Manloo, which fall in the southern part of the mighty Pir Panjal mountain range. The story is no different in central Kashmir's Budgam district, which forms the core of the Pir Panjal, where smugglers have shaved off entire slopes of Drang, Socuchal Pathri, Lasipora, Kachipora, Chil, Brass, Zogov, Kheran and Rigzabal.
Timber smuggling is lucrative because there is a big gap between supply and demand in the state. According to one estimate, the annual demand for wood in Jammu & Kashmir is around one crore cubic feet. The market rate of Deodar ranges from Rs 3000 to Rs 4000 per cubic feet while Kail and Budul are sold for Rs 1700 to Rs 2500 and Rs 800 to Rs 1200 per cubic feet respectively.
On 21 June 2011 timber smuggler turned forest guard Sonaullah Zargar was attacked by timber smugglers allegedly connivance with Forest Department officials. He was attacked with an iron rod and strangled him to death in the forests of Sukhnag range.
Sonaullah had reportedly alerted forest officials about a cache of illegal timber kept hidden in the forests. "On his way back home, some forest officials and timber smugglers silenced him forever."
Four smugglers and Block Forest Officer Abdul Gani War were arrested in connection with Zargar's murder, which is an alarming reminder of the brutality that the timber mafia is capable of unleashing.
Experts have warned that the unabated felling of trees can trigger a major ecological disaster in the Valley. The wanton loot of forests has started to show its effects in the north Kashmir, which is facing acute shortage of water for irrigation and drinking purposes. Due to extensive felling of trees in upper reaches of Rafiabad area of Varmul district, particularly in the last 22 years, soil has started to erode and settle in the Jhelum, which is the main water resource. |
