With timber smugglers cutting down trees without let or hindrance, widespread deforestation has threatened environment in rural and urban parts of Mansehra district.

Though the PTI government claims to have taken measures to protect and increase forest cover in the province, including the launch of the Billion Tree Tsunami afforestation programme, deforestation is taking place in Kaghan, Siren, Konsh and Tanawal areas and even in Mansehra city and its suburbs on a large scale.

As the enforcement of environmental protection laws is poor, timber smugglers are illegally chopping down trees along the Kunhar River from Barawi to Bassal area in upper Kaghan valley.

The people travelling between Naran and Babusar Top by Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road can see massive deforestation alongside the Kunhar River.

The timber business both legal and illegal is known as the Green Gold in Hazara division, especially in Mansehra district.

According to the local residents, timber smugglers cut pine, deodar and diar trees, slide them down from high mountains into the Kunhar River before transporting them to the respective destinations for Rs2,000-Rs4,000 per foot.

“If I can see such a large-scale deforestation along this road, why officials of the forest department can’t,” wondered Mohammad Ali travelling through MNJ Road.

Pointing towards a portion of thick forest, where roots of chopped trees were burnt by timber smugglers to hide the exact timing of their action, the traveller said PTI chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak should visit the region without delay to see the forest department overlooking deforestation and ensure corrective steps.

He said after cutting down trees, smugglers threw wood into the Kunhar River before collecting them on the bank and transporting them to the market by four-wheelers through high mountains and bumpy tracks.

Owner of a hotel in Naran Mohammad Farooq said large-scale deforestation was taking place even in Naran town, the commercial headquarters of Kaghan valley, but neither the forest department nor the district and tehsil administrations were interested in checking it.

“The land grabbers, who are highly influential people, have been cutting down forests in the hilly green belt of Naran along the Bypass Road and thus, leaving the entire city vulnerable to landslides and environmental issues,” he said.

Mr Farooq said the government had banned the cutting down of trees but even then, the deforestation was underway in the valley on a large scale.

“I approached the forest department, district and tehsil administrations and even the National Highway Authority with a request for measures to protect environment, but to no avail,” he said.

The hotelier insisted that the absence of development or eco-environmental plan for Kaghan had increased the melting of snow in the valley’s high mountains and thus, adversely affecting weather.

He said the massive landslide, which had happened in green belt of Naran city few years ago, had caused huge financial losses to hoteliers and blocked the main road but even then, land grabbers were busy cutting down trees endangering the life of the people.

“As for deforestation, the forest department, which is responsible for the protection of the Green Gold, is acting as a silent spectator,” he said.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf district councillor Kala Khan, who is also the chairman of anti-corruption committee of district government, declared timber smuggling bigger corruption issue than Panamagate’s.

“Though Imran Khan is serious in checking timber smuggling and preserving forests, the illegal cutting down of trees is widespread as the black sheep in the forest department have connived with timber smugglers,” he said.

He said there was a complete ban imposed by government on cutting of trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the illegally chopped down wood was everywhere in Lughmani hills here.

“I recently paid surprise visits when timber was cut illegally in Kaghan forest division and Siren valley but the forest department didn’t take any notice of it,” he said.

The councillor said Imran Khan had declared timber smuggling bigger issue than Panamagate and that he was hopeful that the PTI chief would raise the issue in the Supreme Court for action against timber smugglers.

“Deforestation is a matter of life and death for our next generations,” he said, adding that if the government or Imran Khan didn’t take the matter to the court, he would do take the initiative.

He alleged huge corruption in the Billion Tsunami Tree afforestation programme and said the PTI government didn’t learn a lesson from the past and wrongly handed over the key project to the forest department known for corruption and malpractices.

“The black sheep are still holding important positions in the forest department and are involved in looting and plundering of the funds meant for the Billion Tree Tsunami programme,” he said.

Mr Kala Khan said the forest department and his subsidiary watershed department were also responsible for corruption in funds meant for building ‘check dams’ and blocking ways of water directly falling into the Tarbela dam.

“Now, our people are suffering from massive power outages because dams are filled with silt and trash, which have reduced their power generation capacity drastically. However, there is no action against those responsible for it,” he said.

When contacted, conservative Hazara forest division Azhar Ali denied timber smuggling in Mansehra district.

“There is complete ban on cutting of forests but we have been issuing permits to their owners to chop down trees only on need basis,” he said.

Mr Ali said there was a complete ban on commercial cutting of trees and that his department was extensively caring for forests in the region.

He said permits were issued after complete assessment and that one was allowed to cut down one or two trees for the construction of house or for another needs deemed fit under the laws.

He said his department was actively pausing policies and plans chocked by provincial government to check deforestation.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2017