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| North Kashmir loses green gold to vested interests | | Attacks, wanton loot, forest fire become rampant | |  Mohammad Sarfaraz
Early Times Report
KUPWARA, Apr 4: The plantation of new sapling are somewhere in full swung, but smugglers and flames are eating up thick forest cover in North Kashmir forests.
According to recent reports, on March 27, a forest official was injured in an attack by timber smugglers in Bumhama jungle falling under Kamraj Forest Division range in Kupwara district.
Taking the advantage of thick forests and sharp edged weapons smugglers were successful in escaping from the place, said reports.
However, the reports said that the injured official was identified as Ghulam Rasool Mir, while as the smugglers were identified as Shabir Dar and Maqbool Dar residents of Bumhama Kupwara.
In the month of March, Zurhama Gujerpati forest was also set ablaze and officials concerned didn't pay any heed towards it, the local residents had alleged. Locals said that Gujarati forest was burning for few days but the concerned official had not visited the spot to douse the flames, till it got completely damaged.
Despite being aware of the forest fire not a single official has made efforts to control the spreading forest fire, they said.
Now coming towards another area of this border district, in the recent past a Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Handwara had issued directions to the forest department and local administration to explain their position vis a vis the wild forest fire spread over the top of Chogal Forests of the Kandi belt and the measures taken by the local administration in this behalf. The applicants (volunteers) had moved the application agitating the official apathy on part of local administration. They have also submitted that the administration is in a deep slumber and have left the first fire unattended. They have also expressed their deep concern that if the authorities failed to take appropriate actions within the time a major portion of our flora and fauna will get devastated.
In Bandipora, in compartment 108 and 109 of Khuiama forest range hundreds of trees were set on fire by unidentified people.
There has been an abrupt increase in forest fires in Kashmir and thousands of trees have been gutted and damaged in the blaze.
On Mar 27, the department of forests seized a tipper which was carrying huge logs of deodar that was being smuggled into the nearby areas of Baramulla district.
Earlier the smugglers had chopped off these trees for the purpose of smuggling, and accordingly the employees of forest department were informed.
Meanwhile, the illegal timber was 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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