Cutting green trees, encroachment picks up after minister appeals for preservation

JAMMU: A day after the Forest Minister Mian Altaf asserted that protection of forests will ensure conservation of biodiversity, and environment and made an appealed for playing role in this noble cause, some anti nature and anti forest protection elements are acting contrary and cutting down fully grown and small growing trees for their self vested interests with a motive to convert forest land into agriculture land through encroachments in Forest Division Bhaderwah.

Though the Minister while addressing a seminar on International Biodiversity Day at College of Education Auditorium had said that God has gifted the state with natural beauty, adding that our responsibility is to work collectively for its preservation by making people aware about the importance of forests and biodiversity in our life followed by their practical participation in its conservation. But the ill informed and enemies of nature instead of respecting the advice of concerned minister preferred to go against his words and without wasting time started felling green trees (small as well as fully grown) with a sole motive to clean the forest land from trees, then convert it into agriculture land by illegal means of encroachment.

Interestingly, the Minister in his address claimed as, “Every year thousands of trees are planted by the Forest Department in the state, adding that it becomes social responsibility of the locals to protect these trees. Unfortunately instead of fulfilling the social responsibility, the forest land encroachers, giving an impression that there are no takers of social responsibility about which the ministers was talking, when it comes to protection  and conservation of forests, which proves the claim of minister hollow in which he claimed that during past five years the Forest Department succeeded in protecting forests with the active support of the people living near the jungles, especially in Forest Division Bhaderwah.

Relevent to mention here that in Compartment No- 1 of Chiralla Forest Range of Forest Division Bhaderwah, the land adjoining graveyard of Malik Pura in Chiralla Panchayat, the activities of forest land encroachment are on rise and the green trees are being damaged at their tender age besides cutting down the fully grown trees.

Now, it is time for the department to act tough and punish the culprits so this can be a lesson for other thinking of doing damage to the forest with such intentions, otherwise, sooner or later, the forest cover which is fast shrinking will disappear from these areas, which are paid less attention by the concerned department.