SWABI, May 10: Illegal felling of trees is continuing unabated across the district, badly affecting environment and the beauty of the region. However, officials concerned have failed to arrest anyone involved in cutting down trees and selling its wood. No official has bothered to visit the areas to stop the plunder.

Also shisham trees have been attacked by a virus and are dying. No remedial measures were taken by the forest department to protect them. The dead shisham trees had been cut off ruthlessly by thieves for being used as fuel.

Sources said the thieves cut trees at night. And they have become so fearless that they do not even spare big trees on the bank of the Gohati canal and on the busy Swabi-Mardan road.

There are various groups of thieves involved. All the groups involved used chainsaws for cutting the trees and then took them to their warehouses after loading them on tractors.

There are thousands of trees lined up on the banks of canals and on the sides of roads which the forest department was bound to protect.

A few years back tired pedestrians and travellers could rest in the shades of these trees but now all canal banks and roads are losing the green umbrella. No steps are being taken by the forest department to plant new trees.