Cantonment Executive Officer (CEO) Abbottabad Ammara Ammar has clarified that no illicit cutting of trees has been carried out in the cantonment area, claiming that dry, dilapidated and rotting trees were chopped down after fulfilling all legal formalities, including getting the technical input of the forest department.
“As many as 51 dry and dead trees situated within cantonment limits were scheduled to be cut down after fulfilling all legal formalities including auctioning through publicising it in newspapers,” she said.
Speaking to journalists at her office, the official made a general request that facts be verified before launching campaigns based on fabricated news and hearsay.
Ammara said that the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) was asked to inspect the dry and dead trees and provide guidance after a series of complaints were lodged on the Pakistan Citizens’ Portal, in which complainants had asked to cut down rotten and dangerous trees to avoid any untoward incident.
The DFO then directed Sub-Divisional Forest officer (SDFO) to inspect the site. The latter claimed that five chinar trees were in fragile condition and may fall down at any moment.
In his assessment report, the DFO shared the value and conditions of these trees, followed by an auction of all the dangerous trees after fulfilling all formalities.
The CEO further said that during the cutting of dilapidated chinar trees at Chinar Road, residents in the vicinity gathered at the site and asked them to cease the operation. One decrepit chinar tree was cut down along with a dead and dangerous portion of another tree, claimed the official, adding that some individuals from various political parties and pressure groups gathered and recorded their protest through social and print media.
Meanwhile, available documentary evidence stated that DFO Forest Division Abbottabad in his letter addressed to the CEO had submitted an assessment report of 48 trees along with their cost, volume and condition.
These trees worth Rs602,200 include different varieties of trees, claimed the forest department in reply to the letter by Cantonment Board Abbottabad, in which locations and quantity of dry trees were mentioned.
One Muhammad Younas was approved as a contractor for making the highest bid in an open auction, offering a bid of Rs605,000. The said contractor was asked to deposit the entire amount of bid money, including 15% of the mentioned amount as income tax.
A team of journalists reportedly visited Chinar Road to physically inspect the tree-cutting and observed that one chinar tree was completely cut down, while another one was partially cut.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2022.
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