Will change the whole staff of the area by the end of this month : DFO Bandipora
Tauseef Ahmad
Bandipora, Mar. 23: Despite the government’s efforts to curb the illegal cutting of forest trees, the smugglers are taking advantage of the night to continue their nefarious activities in Bandipora.
Locals, while speaking with the Kashmir Despatch, said that every Wednesday and Friday we see fire in forests in the upper reaches of Ashtango and Aloosa. “The illegal cutting of green gold in Kashmir is driven by the corruption of forest employees and the demand for timber and other forest products,” locals allege.
According to sources, the smugglers operate under the cover of darkness to avoid detection by the authorities. They enter the forest areas and cut down the trees, which are then transported to other areas for sale. The smugglers are said to be active in areas such as Sumbal, Gurez, and other forested regions in Bandipora.
The illegal tree felling has resulted in the loss of valuable forest resources, leading to a decline in the forest cover.
“The video which went viral on social media shows that several trees had been cut down in compartment seven areas of Bandipora forests, and to hide the remaining part, the smugglers used fire, which increases the chances of forests in these areas.”
Meanwhile, speaking with the Kashmir Despatch Correspondent, District Forest Officer Bandipora, Mudasir Mehmood, said that we had received several complaints from that area and that we “will change the whole staff of the area by this month, and action will be taken against the employee who will be found involved in the illegal cutting of trees,” he said.
The locals of the area raised a question against the forest department: who will remain responsible till the end of this month?
