Officials in the Balochistan forests department said the rapid reduction is due to lack of planning and paucity of resources and manpower, but also criticised the government’s apathetic attitude.
This, they said, is reflected in the fact that the year 2011 has been declared as the year of forests in Balochistan but it seems to have had little impact.
“The government has allocated a mere 0.02% of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) this fiscal year, which reflects the government’s apathy,” said a senior official from the Balochistan forest department, requesting anonymity.
Environment experts say forests should cover 25% of Balochistan’s area to maintain an ecological balance. Additionally, almost 85% of the province’s population lives in the rural areas and relies on agriculture, livestock and other natural resources.
“Agriculture and livestock are directly or indirectly attached to forests and environment,” said Ghulam Ali Baloch, secretary of Balochistan’s forests department. “The department is currently working towards improving the situation and increasing the cover area.”
According to Baloch, the department is currently reviewing the century-old Forest Act 1890 and revamping the Forests Regulation Authority, which was established in 1927.
According to the act, a fine of Rs5 has to be paid by a person found chopping off a tree. Since the regulations were never updated, the same fine applies today.
The department has drafted a fresh act and the law will soon be tabled for approval in the Balochistan Assembly.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2011.
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The forest are nature's atmosphere cleaning mechanism and provide an ecological balance affecting weather and crops from Quetta to Sialkot. Under no circumstances a forest should be neglected or considered a local entity when its effecting millions of mile up and down. It was the deforestation and so soil erosion and river banks deterioration that brought 2010 flood from Peshawar to Thatta. The Balochistan forest we save might effect the weather in Multan. We must realize the value of irreplaceable national resources and the irreversible damage it can do. Also, we must remember the Arabia and Africa were once lush green forest lands and human abuse brought them where they are today. Now is there no one teaching this at college or school?
From the secretary down to the forest guard all are involved in this defacement of the beautiful land. Thanks to the corruption of bureaucracy. They are the termites of Pakistani society and that is why it is called DMG (Dheemak Marka Group). World over countries develop through honesty, hard work and sincerity. On the obverse Pakistani bureaucracy is trying develop the country through corruption
From the secretary down to the forest guard all are involved in this defacement of the beautiful land. Thanks to the corruption of bureaucracy. They are the termites of Pakistani society and that is why it is called DMG (Dheemak Marka Group). World over countries develop through honesty, hard work and sincerity. On the obverse Pakistani bureaucracy is trying develop the country through corruption.
On the positive side, look at all the beautiful furniture you can have.