Complete ban imposed on cutting down forest trees

Forest officials say ban may lead to rise in tree theft

RAWALPINDI:

With plans afoot to establish national parks in the dense forests belonging to the state, the Punjab government has placed a complete ban on cutting down and removal of trees, including the ones that are uprooted in storms, die of natural causes or are diseased.

The decision will also be applicable to Rawalpindi division’s four mountainous tehsils i.e. Murree, Kotli Satyan, Kahuta and Kallar Syedan .

The forest department’s timber division, which looks after the health of the trees in these forests and also arranges the cutting-down and auctions for trees that are dead, fallen or diseased, has also been mandated to obey the orders pertaining to the ban.

Senior officials of the forest department and forest experts have termed the ban harmful for the forests, insisting that the decision will not only increase the risk of fires in the forests, but will also lead to healthy trees getting infected by diseased ones and ending up rotten or dried up.

They further said that the ban will trigger a rise in theft of trees, while the trees that fall over or are uprooted in storms will hinder monitoring of the forests if they are left lying around.

The officials pointed out that the government’s plans to encourage more and more birds to build their nests in the forests will hardly bear fruit in the absence of regular clearing of fallen or dried up trees from the forest floor, as birds look for healthy and tall trees to build their nests in rather than broken ones.

Additionally, the ban will also result in a huge revenue drain for the timber division, with officials estimating a yearly loss of Rs200-240 million and fearing a complete shutdown of the division in existence since 1975.

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The officials claimed that every year, hundreds of trees topple over in the dense forests of Murree, Kotli Satyan, Bhurban, Ghora Gali, Lawrence Gali, Galyat, Panj Pir, Karur, Lehtrar and Kahuta due to a number of reasons. “It is imperative to remove those trees to maintain the health and beauty of the entire forest and to ensure that the grounds remain clear for efficient monitoring,” declared an official.

According to Forest Department authorities, letters are being regularly sent to the government, urging the reversal of the ban which has been in effect since December 25, 2021.

The official clarified that they are fully supportive of plans to establish national parks in the forests, affirming that the Forest Department is completely on-board with the Punjab government’s vision to build parks featuring walking tracks, dedicated seating areas for tourists, street lights and CCTV cameras for monitoring.

Additionally, weapons, walkie-talkies and motorcycles will be provided to the forest guards to ensure maximum security of these parks. The government has also granted permission for recruitment of more forest guards and foresters for the protection of forests.

The officials commented that during dry spells, visitors will not be allowed to carry matchboxes, cigarette lighters, knives and saws in the parks.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2022.