I POSTED a picture of a tractor trolley laden with trees on a social media platform recently. A man commented that trees are people’s personal property, and there was no point raising a hue and cry about tree-cutting.

This mindset of treating living things as personal property is problematic. For instance, when men commit violence against their wives or children, should people be told not to interfere as it was supposedly their personal matter?

Sindh is witnessing unprecedented deforestation. From river forests to the fields, the menace of tree-cutting is spreading like wildfire. The provincial Forest Department, police and other relevant authorities either act as silent spectators, or appear helpless against the powerful timber mafia and encroachers of forest lands. In any case, the official machinery is complacent.

Environmental activists and journalists resisting the crisis are dubbed blackmailers. The farmers need to realise that in addition to environmental benefits, standing trees make a lot of economic sense.

The leaves and pods of the trees provide fodder for livestock; branches of pruned tree provide fuel for cooking, and work as hedges around the homes or the fields.

Gulsher Panhwer
Johi

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2025