LAYYAH, Feb 5: The large-scale tree felling by those dealing in charcoal is continuing unchecked in the district, which is not only damaging the environment but also putting health of the local people at risk.

Reports said the business of making charcoal by burning timber and then transporting it to northern parts of the country was mostly owned by Afghans who migrated to Pakistan following invasion of their country by former Soviet Union in 1980s.

To make charcoal, timber mostly comprising Sheesham, Bairy, Sars and Keekar trees, is burnt in big ovens made of clay, locally called Kups and then the half-burnt wood is soaked in water to get the finished product. Charcoal is mainly transported to the NWFP, Zohb, Quetta and the big urban centres of Punjab, including Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.

The main centres of this business in the district include Kot Murad, Chowk Azam, Peer Jagi, Rafiq Abad, Qazi Abad, Sher Garh, Dhori Adda and Samtiya More, Karor Lal Esan.

During the process, heavy emissions of gasses like carbon mono oxide are produced which not only pollute the environment but also cause health problems for the local population.

Dr Muhammad Yousaf, a general practitioner of Chowk Azam told Dawn that many residents of the localities in vicinity of these wood kilns were suffering from skin, eye and respiratory ailments.

A local environmentalist, Mr Mazhar Lashari said the district administration had failed to check the `dangerous’ business which was rapidly eliminating tree species of Thal. Massive tree felling in the district was going own with the connivance of forest authorise, he alleged.