CHITRAL: A mysterious disease has caused drying up of a large number of deodar trees in Gol National Park here during the last two months, but no measures have been taken as yet by the wildlife department to cure the ailing trees and save the unaffected ones.

A source requesting anonymity told this scribe that a herd of oval shaped medium-size insects had attacked the trees in Gokhshal, the core area of the park. He said that the insects devoured the green parts of the tree as a result of which it dried up within a few days of the onslaught and the herd turned to the next tree.

He claimed that over 5,00 trees had dried up by the disease which was spreading fast in areas containing high density of deodar trees. He added that on the one hand the forest trees were under threat, on the other, the watchers of the park had been assigned the job of plantation in some other part of the park.

Official says samples from trees have been sent to Pakistan Forest Institute

An environmentalist working with an NGO said that deforestation in the aftermath of the disease in the core area of the national park might spell a disaster of flash flood due to torrential rain, which could affect the villages of Goldur, Zargarandeh and Muldeh of the city.

He said that destruction in the core area would affect the biodiversity as most of the species made the area their habitat in the winter season.

Chitral Gol National Park Association chairman Alamzeb advocate said that he knew about the disease in the park and they had contacted the high-ups of the department to take measures.

When contacted, divisional forest officer of Gol wildlife division, Abdus Samad, admitted drying up of trees in the park, but put the number of affected trees at 70 to 80. He said that samples had been sent to the Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar, for diagnosis.

He said that no spraying could be carried out in the park till the laboratory report was received as there was a rich biodiversity in the area which needed to be protected. Answering a question, he said that the park watchers carried out plantation on the directives of the government as a large tract in the park was without trees.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2017