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| As Forest Minister sleeps, loot of green gold continues | | Kishtwar forests depleting | | Asif Iqbal Naik
Kishtwar, July 22: Realizing the importance of Kishtwar forests that extend to areas like Marwah, Dachhan, Nagsini, Paddar, Bhunzwah, Kuntwara, Chatroo, Poochal and Thrakrie, the State Government created 2 Divisional Forest offices viz Kishtwar and Marwah Division, besides two State Forest Corporation Divisions, SFC West and SFC East. With the passage of time department of Social Forestry and Forest Protection Force also came into existence as the successive governments in State as well as in Center showed their concern to protect the forest wealth of the country.
Despite imposition of ban on extraction of timer by Supreme Court of India, particularly with respect to green gold, the nexus between the forest officers and the smugglers has become a profitable venture these days as the forest mafias are busy in supplying the timber to inhabitants of Kishtwar district without any restriction.
As ordinary citizens wait for sanction of timber reports of illegal extraction of green timber are pouring in from all the divisions. Early Times has photographs to prove it. As per the proofs available with "Early Times", there is heavy extraction of green timber commonly known as "Green felling" going on unchecked in forests of Marwah and Warwan.
In Marwah and Warwan, the green felling is being done in the name of road construction. The nexus of forest officials and forest mafia on the name of road construction cuts hundreds of green trees in the area. The people said that cutting of green trees in Marwah and Warwan are unchecked and even the forest smugglers cut those trees which fall outside the road plan.
It was not only in Marwah and Warwan where the cutting of green gold is at rampant, but in areas like Putinag, Thakrie, Kalamsatar, Poochal and Trigham which are just few kilometers from Kishtwar district also witnessed unabated green felling since last so many years and are the major source of illegal timber smuggling in Kishtwar town and its adjoining areas. Every year several residential and commercial structures comes up in Kishtwar town and its adjoining areas and officially Forest Department supplies timber to merely 20% of them and the rest of the 80% timber comes through Forest officials and forest mafia network which is unchecked in Kishtwar town and its adjoining areas.
Another threat to the forests in Kishtwar district is illegal extraction of fire wood from adjacent forests. As a part of nexus, Ponywalas first enter into the forests and cut the green trees. After cutting green trees, they keep the wood inside the forest for drying and when the wood dries up, it is supplied to brick kiln owners, bakery shops and influential people.
Earlier, these were was militants who destroyed timber worth hundreds of crores in Chenab valley, but today Forest officials and forest mafia nexus equally threaten the survival of forests not only in Kishtwar district, but in entire Chenab region. People in Chenab region believed that the reports of illegal supply of timber in towns and adjoining areas of three districts of Chenab region viz Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban could be checked through proper census, as the number of residence and commercial ventures are many folded as compared to the timber officially issued by the Forest Department at present and in past as well.
The Forest Minister Mian Altaf recently stated that Forest Department is short of manpower, but can the smuggling be allowed to continue unabated? It is high time for the Forest Minister to wake up from deep slumber and act against the Forest officials and forest mafia nexus to prevent the open loot of green gold in Kishtwar. |
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