New forest policy: In Diamer, fear of deforestation

Locals say freshly-cut timber being smuggled out along with old stock.

GILGIT: People in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) have voiced concern over “unbridled chopping” of forests in parts of Diamer District. They claim that tree smugglers are using the recently-announced forest policy, which lifted a decade-old ban on transportation of four million cubic feet of timber rotting in Diamer district, as a guise to smuggle freshly-cut timber.

“I have seen dozens of freshly-chopped trees in Diamer’s Thor valley and it is highly likely that these will be transported out along with the old stock,” a resident of Chilas told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity. He said he saw the trees during his recent visit to Diamer after the announcement of the new forest policy.

In an attempt to protect the forest reserves, the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government in early 2000 placed a ban on tree felling. The ban led to the freeze in the movement of nearly four million cubic feet of already chopped timber stock piled on either sides of the Karakoram Highway. However, the G-B government lifted the ban in its new forest policy announced in July this year.

Though the policy is in the final stages of its approval in the federal capital, locals fear that timber smugglers in connivance with forest authorities will sweep the woodlands in Diamer under the garb of the new policy, earning billions of rupees overnight.

A development expert from Diamer, Gulam Nabi Raikoti, said he had communicated his apprehensions of unchecked tree felling to the concerned quarters but regrettably they did not pay heed. “We knew this was bound to happen as a result of the policy,” he added.

An official in a non-governmental organisation concurred. The official, who too requested not to be named, said that the same concern was discussed in a high level meeting of his organisation held in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Chilas Divisional Forest Officer Mohammad Saleem denied reports of large-scale deforestation in Diamer. “Yes there were some reports in the past of people cutting a few trees illegally but there is no such massive deforestation taking place in the valley,” said Saleem. He said the department has arrested eight people from the district for illegally cutting trees.

Saleem said he has spoken to the deputy commissioner to have Section 144 imposed in the valley to ban public gathering of five or more people. “When Section 144 is imposed, police will also be there to help us in case any report of illegal tree felling or tree smuggling surfaces,” he explained.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2012.