NAROWAL: Around 3,960 kanal of five forests are under illegal occupation, thanks to the connivance of officials of the forest and revenue departments.

The Punjab government has 11 forests having an area of 11,320 kanal in Narowal. Many people with the alleged support of influential people have occupied 3,960 kanal from time to time. They have cut and sold precious trees such as shisham and are cultivating paddy, wheat, fodder for cattle and other crops.

Information gleaned by this correspondent revealed that the mafia has deprived the government of Nangle Shahoo forest, Dharhiwal forest (544 kanal), Kalkhana forest (328 kanal), Tehra forest (1,336 kanal) and Bajar forest (536 kanal).

Many residents of Dharhiwal area said the illegal occupants had cut trees three years ago and when they asked the forest guards about the reason for doing so, they said the government was planning to construct an airport.

Officials of the forest department, they alleged, had the trees cut and made a fast buck.

A resident of Dadian village said there were many wild animals and nests of beautiful birds in the forests of Dharhiwal and Dadian and people from big cities would come here for hunting. She said the forests had now been occupied by the land mafia.

Muhammad Boota and Muhammad Ashraf, who work as forest guards, told Dawn that they were helpless as the government failed to equip them with weapons or provide uniform and other basic facilities. They said they could not stop the influential people from occupying the state land and even police refuse to cooperate or register a case.

Forest department’s Sub Divisional Officer Aftab Ahmad says the officials concerned of the revenue department, deputy and assistant commissioners and other officers fail to take action against the illegal occupants.

“We have got stay order in many cases from courts but the fact is that the revenue department or police hardly take any action against the illegal occupants,” he says.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2019