MARDAN, Feb 20: Cutting of old trees in the Mardan district continues unabated despite warnings of strict action by the government against the timber mafia.

A survey reveal that the timber mafia, which has become active in the recent days, cut Sheesham trees growing along canals, which dated back to the colonial era or the early days of the creation of Pakistan.

The mafia, it came to know, employed a strange method to fell the trees. It either peels off the trunks of the trees or damage their roots and the trees become dry in a few days, after which the elements come to chop down the trees with fake permission chits from the officials concerned.

So far, the mafia has chopped off Sheesham trees worth millions of rupees, thereby causing irreparable loss to the environment and the public exchequer.

Informed sources revealed that the mafia had cut down thousands of trees at Bakhshali, Taja, Katlang and other areas of the Mardan district and the city under the very nose of the law enforcers and the department concerned.

Recently the officials ruthlessly chopped down around 18 Sheesham trees, said to be between 50 and 100 years of age, without any reason.

An official of the Forest Department claimed that all the trees were properly auctioned and were sold to the contractors. He said the department held trees’ auction twice a month and denied that any illegal felling of trees had been taking place in the jurisdiction of the department.

He disclosed that more than 2000 trees had been auctioned during the last two months for Rs120 to Rs170 per foot, adding that the money was deposited in the government exchequer.

He further said that this year the provincial government did not allocate funds to the Forest Department of Mardan, while previously Rs4 million used to be earmarked for nurseries and plants and saplings were supplied to the people and farmers for plantation in these areas.