Poplar wood transportation ban reviewed

Standing Committee of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Forests, Environment and Climate Change on Thursday discussed matters including establishment of Environment Protection Tribunal (EPT) and ban on transportation of poplar wood in containers as well as introduction of zig-zag technology in brick kilns.

The meeting was chaired by Arif Ahmadzai and was also attended by CM aide on Forests, Pir Musawir Khan, MPAs including Abdus salam, Iftikhar Aswani, Muhammad Naeem, Sher Ali Afridi, Special Secretary, Masood Ahmad and officials of forest and law department.

CM's aide on forests termed establishment of tribunal under a secretary-level officer a significant step and said that all departments would be taken on board.

A committee has also been set up for auction of timber, he said, adding that record of timber has also been sold.

The meeting was also informed that ban on transportation of poplar wood in containers was meant to stop smuggling of precious wood. He said that a mechanism would be developed under which loading of poplar wood would be monitored in Mardan and Charsadda areas where these types of trees are grown.