HARIPUR, Aug 30: The formation of Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMC) in Haripur has remained a mere paper work as the district-based administration of forest department failed to comply with the provincial government’s instructions in this regard, sources told Dawn here on Friday.

The JFMCs were proposed to be consisted of 15 members including, seven from private owners of forest, and three, from beneficiaries two officials from forest department, two union councillors and one from a local NGO. These committees if constituted would have the role of watch-dog against unscrupulous deforestation and the ongoing damage done to this natural resource by the organized gangs of timber smugglers.

For Haripur alone, which housed over 56,000 acres of forestland, as many as 64 committees were proposed to be constituted in the entire district. As per plan these committees were to be elected through proper election process annually and a committee would be held responsible for any damage to forest and it would be accountable to department and public as well.

But it was reported that the department could not form a single JFMC in the entire district except Satora forest range, which had a vast area under the forest with different species of trees. As a result the illegal cutting of trees in the forests of Haripur was continued.

In Haripur 24,118 acres of land was under reserve forest range, 25,371 acres Guzara category and 121 acres protected forestland.

Haripur was considered to be a safe haven for smuggling of timber from upper Hazara to the other parts of the country.