SWABI, Jan 1: Cutting of about 700 trees in two Tarbela dam residential colonies has been started which, according to experts, would disturb ecological order and badly affect the environment. The Right Bank Colony and the River View Colony are situated in Swabi district where employees of Wapda have been living since 1977 when the Tarbela dam was constructed. The dam was built with the financial assistance of the World Bank after conclusion of Indian Basin Treaty with India.

Sources told Dawn that sheesham trees were attacked by a virus and were auctioned eight months back by Tarbela dam authorities for Rs1.8 million. Recently another auction had been carried out for Rs3.3 million. Earlier, eight years ago, a bulk of wood had been auctioned for Rs0.7 million.

However, according to insiders, nobody took pains of planting new saplings in place of uprooted trees and there was danger of environmental degradation in and around the area.

The latest auction, the sources said, was conducted a month ago. Both virus-dried and green sheesham trees as well as green saplings were included in the auction. Auction of saplings was criticized by the people but the officials concerned said only ‘mature’ saplings had been auctioned.

Environmentalists said after the auction there was a dire need of a new plantation plan for the upcoming plantation season.

Haripur district has a Landscaping and Arboriculture Department of Tarbela Dam but there is no such department in Swabi district and that is the reason that plantation had not been planned in this area.

In Haripur district, sources said, Landscaping and Arboriculture Department had been carrying out tree-plantation plan every year but this department did not have the said two colonies in its list.

They said the auction was carried out on the directive of the XENs of the Right Bank Colony and the River View Colony who were authorized to do so by high ranking officials of the Tarbela dam.

Cutting of trees, the sources said, had been continuing for the last five days and would be completed within three weeks because labourers were using automatic saws.

About power supply suspension, the sources said cutting of trees would not result in major suspension. Only minor power supply suspension would be carried out in those residential areas where falling trees pose threat to the main power supply line.

Water supply remained suspended from 8 am to 12 noon on Tuesday due to cutting of those trees which stood near the water lines. In some areas water supply lines were damaged.

The officials claimed that in the next season a tree plantation campaign would be carried out in these colonies and in this regard they had already chalked out a strategy.

However, a retired official of the Landscaping and Arboriculture Department of the Tarbela dam told Dawn that both these colonies lacked plantation plan. He said the trees cut for auction had been planted during construction of the dam.