ET Report
Srinagar, Dec 21: The wanton loot of lush green forests continues unabated in forest Minister's constituency in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, with the officials of the department allegedly failing to curb the activities of the timber smugglers.Reports reaching Global News Service said that scores of trees have been chopped in various forested areas in Kangan, the constituency of Mian Altaf, who is forest Minister in Omar Abdullah led coalition government. The loot of the green gold, reports said continues in Kullan, Inderwan, Yarmuqam, Chattergul and other areas of Kangan. However, the compartment numbers 44 and 45 in Kullan forests are worst hit where timber are seen vandalizing the forests in broad day light without the fear of action from the officials. The officials of the forest department, reports said, have turned deaf ears towards the repeated pleas by the locals to curb the activities of the smugglers, who have cut off thousands of trees since last month. "It seems that the forest officials are hand in glove with the timber smugglers. Had not that been the case, the smugglers would not have dared to chop hundreds of trees under the nose of the officials," Mohammad Amin, a resident of Kullan said. However, the divisional forest officer (DFO), Hafizullah Mir denied that timber smuggling was rampant in the Kangan forests. He said his staff was maintaining highest vigil in the area to curb the activities of timber smugglers.
"No timber smuggling is going on in Kangan forests. Our officials had visited the areas after receiving complaints that some trees have been chopped off.
However, we didn't find anything," he added. |
