NAROWAL: Forest Department officials have planted 17,000 poplar saplings on 200 fertile kanals at village Dadyan despite a ban on the plantation of the tree by the Punjab government.

Local villagers alleged the employees earlier cut out trees of shisham and kikar from the land with the connivance of local influential people and caused losses to the Punjab government.

Now, they have planted 17,000 poplar saplings on the forest land despite a ban on the plantation of the water-guzzler tree by the Punjab government for depleting underground water all over Pakistan.

Poplar trees can only be planted in waterlogged areas and along the canals, roads defense embankments. A poplar tree consumes 20 to 30 litre water every day. Botanists say wherever poplar plant is grown, those areas suffer dearth of water and soil becomes barren. The water level becomes low and sometimes salinity is seen there.

Kareem Bhakhsh and Muhammad Amjad Ali, of village Dadyan, poplar trees on the public agriculture land would destroy the nearby fields also.

Mr Bakhsh said the height of a poplar tree was 30 to 50 feet and its shade falling on adjoining fields would affect their crops too.

Another resident Ataullah said, “The Forest Department should allow plantation of acacia and shisham trees only, as poplar wood is weak and does not fetch good price. Shisham and acacia wood are strong and have good market value,” he said.

Agriculture Assistant Director Tanveer Ahmad said the plantation of polar trees was the violation of the government orders. Forest Sub-Divisional Officer Aftab Ahmad said the government funded them to grow more and more poplar trees.

Local residents demanded that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar take notice of the situation and stop the plantation of the anti-soil plant on the fertile land.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2019