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| Wanton loot of green forests goes on unabated in Rafiabad area of Baramulla district | | |  Mohammad Sarfaraz
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA, Mar 27: The wanton loot of forests is unabated in Rafiabad area in this north Kashmir district. Timber smugglers have chopped off scores of green trees in the past week and dumped them under ground in the form of logs.
Sources said that scores of green trees were lying on the ground after being chopped off while as forest department has not taken any action against timber smugglers nor they have ordered any sort of inquiry into the matter.
"Smugglers had dumped large quantity of forest timber in Rafiabad forests, in the past we had informed forest officials about this smuggling, but they didn't pay any heed towards this smuggling. In past police had raided many places and seized plenty of forest timber that was dumped illegally by smugglers," sources said.
Sources said that they were surprised to see scores of green trees lying on the ground in Buden area of Rafiabad. Smugglers had chopped off these trees surely for the purpose of smuggling, and accordingly we informed the employees of Forest department, they said.
A local resident said that day in and out these timber smugglers are cutting trees. Due to callous attitude of forest department, it seems that the forest officials are hand in glove with smugglers, he said.
"Smugglers chop off these trees during day time and transport it in night on horse backs and carts to other nearby areas of Baramulla and Sopore Township to sell it to band saw mills owners," local alleged.
A local said, "Taking advantage of situation during rainy days or of snow in hilly areas, the felling of trees and smuggling of timber is increasing enormously day by day."
A group of locals said that during winter, dozens of trees were cut by smugglers and ferried in trucks and tractors from the area. We have never seen such type smuggling from last three to four years. A local wishing anonymity said that forest officials deliberately set them on fire to conceal their misdeeds.
Meanwhile, the department of forests seized a tipper which was carrying huge logs of deodar that was being smuggled into the nearby areas.
The illegal timber was being carried from Budden area of Rafiabad in a Tipper bearing number JK02G 5722 and the same was seized by team of forest department Rafiabad. |
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