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| Forest policy fails to protect JK forests | | |  Mohammad Sarfaraz
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Dec 15: Forest policy in Jammu and Kashmir seems only theoretically approved and the ground reality speaks something else as with the increase in population, scores of green forests have been chopped off by the timber smugglers across north Kashmir, and government has failed to safeguard these green gold's for forth coming generations.
Deforestation has been on the rise since last couple of months in various parts of north Kashmir. As scores of people from border areas like Uri, Kupwara and Bandipora believes that there is an increase in population which has led to increase in demand for various goods and services.
Bashir Ahmad Khan of Chotali Banali believes that many people are employed because of the forest and hundreds of jobs would be lost without it. It is from the forest that we are able to get much of the energy that powers most of the towns and cities throughout J&K and these forests were cleaned up by the timbersmugglers.
"Many people find employment through tourism. Where there are forests, tourists are usually attracted to the area. This leads to more money to support the needs of different communities and promote sustainable tourism and cultural understanding, said Bashir Khan.
However sources said that Jammu and Kashmir has a total forest cover of 20,230 sq km more or less, out of the total forest area in J&K, 12,066 sqkm is in the Jammu region, and 8,128 sq km is in the Kashmir region, while as Ladakh has only 36 sq km forest area.
There is much need for better implementation of plans and polices with regard to safeguard the forests in Jammu and Kashmir. Otherwise the timber smugglers have not left any opportunity in loot of green gold's with impunity, sources told early times.
Sources said that, it seems that forest policy is mere a theoretical lesson and practically it is nowhere implemented as timber smugglers have leashed a reign of terror by cutting green gold's in broad day light. If state government has formulated any norms or laws for enforcing agencies then there should not have been so much loot in deforestation of green trees, sources asked.
Sources said that there are number of timber smugglers who continue to loot the green wealth with impunity and they have not been booked under certain laws but they are doing their business in worth crores.
Scores of lush green trees were recently chopped off in various areas of Uri town like Mohra and Rampur, but the concerned department has failed to take any proper action against them and the authorities seems to be in a deep slumber, sources added. |
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