THE slaughter of forests in the Malakand division continues. Trees are being ruthlessly harvested and sold in the black markets by the timber Mafia at throwaway prices as the concerned authorities conveniently look the other way. Deforestation is having an adverse affect on the area’s natural environment while a visible change in the weather has also been observed.

According to a legitimate timber businessman in the area, smuggled trees are only confiscated when the smuggler fail to strike a bargain with the concerned personnel. And though, vehicles loaded with illegal timber are often impounded en route in the down-districts, nobody has ever questioned the authorities in the upper-districts as to why these vehicles aren’t caught at their check posts.

The former Wali (ruler) of Swat State had preserved the forests and had allocated a quota for personal use of the local people. None of the people had the courage to cut the forests illegally. They had to fulfil all the requirements for getting even a single tree for personal use. But now, it’s a different situation.

The forests are at the mercy of the axe and people including policemen and the forest department are many who are accused of being hand in glove with the timber smugglers. People of both the departments are responsible for denuding the hillsides. Had the authorities ever performed their duties the mafia would never have been able to damage the forests.

Members of the timber mafia are those who exercise a lot of influence and officials, even if they want to take a stern action, don’t dare even lift a finger.

Timber smuggling has become a lucrative business in the entire NWFP. The so-called elders use their servants in running the business and in case somebody gets arrested they try to secure his release. That’s why the real culprits are never caught.

On the river side, the forests of Shagram, Morpandai, Marghazar Valley, Kalam, Madyan, Behrain, Matta, Fazil Banda, Ghari, Sakhra, Beha, Runingar, Lalko, Utror, Ushu, Gabrial and on the other side that of the Mian Bela, Tall, Dardyal are in the target of the mafia. The forests of Buner District have also been harvested ruthlessly. The forest of Eelum, Gukand, Jambel, Kokarai have almost vanished.

According to a report submitted to a local court, about six hundred trees had been harvested in the Parona areas by only one person! But the authorities failed to take action in this regard. The forests of Dwasar are transported to Mingora City via Sodher and Manglawar. The forests of Kalam are at a distance of about seventy kilometres from here but the smugglers have an alternative means of transport. Timber smugglers are using the River Swat for transportation of the timber logs with the rubber tubes. Shin, Khwazakhela and other roadside villages are the main spots were timber logs are loaded to the rubber tubes.

In some areas Afghans are also very actively cutting trees. They are involved in cutting the immature trees and using them as firewood. The Afghan refugees residing in different camps are responsible for the cutting of newly planted saplings, which they are also using in the construction of their kachaa (muddy) houses. In Swat too people refuse to realize that they are committing a crime by cutting trees.

The mafia is also busy peeling the layers of the fruit trees like walnuts and selling it at high rates in the markets. The layer (skin) of the walnut is locally called dandasa which is said to be used for colouring the tea leaves in the black markets.

The saw-machines installed in the cities here are almost illegal. The owners of the saw-machines are clearly violating forest laws. They have established godowns in the heart of the Mingora City that are stocked by illegal timber, right under the noses of the authorities. There is no restriction on the timber movement in the open markets, even in the handcarts. Hundreds of timber logs are sawed in the saw-machines everyday and its furniture is transported to other cities of the country.

Majority of the Peshawar-bound vehicles are used for timber smuggling. Drivers have established links with the local businessmen who are supplying the timber in pieces, which could easily be hidden in secret cavities of the vehicles. A driver confided me that a timber log of Rs500 could easily be sold out at Rs800 or above in Peshawar markets.

Officials of the forest department are of the opinion that they have controlled the deforestation to a great extent as compared to the past. They also complain of lack of facilities and staff. An official even complained that judicial officers are not fully cooperative with the forest department. If they would have been, none of the smugglers would have dared to indulge in such activities. The official also said that the government should compensate the families of the employees who had sacrificed their lives for protection of the forests.

Haji Muhammad Zeb, President of the All Forest Guards, Foresters and Deputy Range Officers said that with the existing staff, it is not possible to protect the forests. He said that a single unarmed forest guard was entrusted with protecting a piece of forest spread over 4200 acres, which is really a daunting task, if not impossible all together. He said that thanks to the government’s devolution plan, the number of forest employees had further been slashed 25 per cent; the problems just keep on mounting. Haji Zeb said that in the entire NWFP there were only 1111 forest guards, about 300 foresters and 35 deputy range officers (DRO). In addition the forest guards had also to perform duties on the check posts and to visit courts in connection with day-to-day cases of the forest department, not to mention afforestation that is also one of their duties.

Haji Zeb lamented that government policies regarding forests were not sustainable and that was why the forests we’re vanishing rapidly. He proposed that the number of the employees should be increased in accordance with the needs and they should be fully equipped with the facilities that are a must for forest protection. He supported the new forest policy and termed it useful for the forests, saying that the royalty purchasers were trying to mobilize the stake holders against it for their own benefits.

He was of the view that some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were also supporting the cause of the royalty purchasers, which was unfair. The new forest policy had fully protected the rights of the stake holders and ensured legal action against the timber Mafia, but the new ordinance needed to be implemented as soon as possible.

Observers are of the view that the forests are vanishing rapidly and if the authorities did not take prompt action forests would completely perish from the face of the earth. It is proposed that the New Forest Ordinance should be enforced forthwith.