Soan Sakesar valley under threat of deforestation

Local people call for action against fires, mining, timber smuggling

KHUSHAB: The forests of Soan Sakesar valley in the Khushab district are facing destruction due to lack of interest of the Punjab government and its Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Department.

Government forests spread over 40% of Soan valley have completely lost big trees of Phalahi and Kahu due to fires. Each year, thousands of acres of forest are burned to ashes during the summer. This year also a horrific fire erupted in the forest of Ogali Chata. Areas of Nowshera and Sarki were also affected by the fire.

Due to lack of action by the forest department, a large number of wood stalls have been set up in all the villages. Most of the stalls have been set up by non-locals, including Afghan refugees. A sawmill has been temporarily set up near Kathwai from where a hundred maunds of wood are sent to Khushab overnight.

Deforestation has been continuing in the hilly area adjoining Rakh Gora and Narwari orchards but the Punjab Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Department does not appear to have taken notice of it. The previous deputy commissioner posted in Khushab district was enforcing Section 144 to curb the transport of timber but the ban is not being effectively implemented now.



The forest department has no strategy to prevent forest fires and oftentimes the blazes continue to spread for several days.

The provincial government has not set up nurseries in any area to spread the forests of Khushab district, nor has it launched any scheme to encourage people in this regard.



Two projects under the United Nations Development Programme are underway in the adjoining Chakwal district to protect forests.

The forest department is issuing several permits for transporting timber from the Soan valley, while there is no ban on cutting Kahu and Philahi trees under the Forest Act on the demand of the people of the area.

Deforestation is badly affecting the ecological balance of the area, including groundwater degradation and an increase in temperature. The region's wildlife, agriculture, livestock and tourism are suffering.

Local people say forest guards should be ordered to strictly stop the illegal cutting of timber from government land.

Community representatives of the area demanded that the department should review the factors that cause damage to forests, including permission for mining of coal and other minerals. There are several coal mines operating in Rakh Hayatul Mir forest of Soan valley. The mines have destroyed the beautiful forest due to the negligence of the Mines and Minerals Department. The coal mines have also become a den of criminals.

Local community leaders said the Mines and Minerals Department should immediately cancel the lease for the coal mines which are destroying forests.

Kahu, Philahi and other trees are disappearing rapidly from the government forests leased out for sand, coal and rocks. The Mines and Minerals Department is not providing any facilities to the forest department for the rehabilitation of these areas.

A local representative said the minerals department should give 30% of the income obtained from the lease to the forest department so that trees can be planted there.

Criminals using the paths made for mining have made the area of Nowshera unsafe for travel during the night. The forest department should immediately set up two nurseries in the area for afforestation. A checkpoint is also needed to prevent the export of timber.



Local people said the district forest officer should be made responsible to protect the forests and development schemes should be launched to preserve water level and ponds.

They said cutting of trees for other uses, including cemeteries, should also be banned.

Civil society organisations had announced that they would plant 500,000 trees, but the plan failed due to a lack of government patronage.

Some people allege that forest department officials set fire to forests for covering up illegal tree cutting and the theft of wood. They said this was why efforts were not made immediately to extinguish the fires.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2020.