Details

Written by: Current News Service

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 05 September 2016

URI: Taking undue advantage of the valley unrest, the smuggling of green gold is going unabated in border town Uri of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Axing of trees has been reported from compartment number 14, 15 (Zamoor Pattan), 18 (Kamalkote), 39, 42 (Nawarunda), 43 (Dardkote), 44 (Kalgi, Salamabad), 45 (Gawalan), 68, 69, 70, 71(Machikrand), 72 (Garkote) and 75, 76, 77 (Nambla).

“By taking advantage of the prevailing situations in the valley since July 09, the smugglers have caused extensive damage to the nearby forests in the villages. They smuggle the green gold from the forest as nobody from the forest department is keeping watch on the forest areas here these days,” said a resident of Machikrand village wishing anonymous.

Locals living near these compartments alleged a nexus between the smugglers and forest department officials has helped the smugglers to chop off the trees in the area to their benefits. They said though the local forest officials are well known about the matter but they still are acting as mute spectators.

“Due to callous attitude of forest department, the smugglers are roaming freely in the area. They enter the village at dusk with their vehicles and leave at dawn with good quantity of timbre,” they said adding “Felling of trees mostly Kail is going on at large scale in the forest areas. Deputy Director Forest Protection Force (FPF) Baramulla, Khurshid Maqbool told CNS that they have already launched a crackdown on the forest smugglers. “Recently we also seized a good quantity of timbre from smugglers at many places in Uri,” Maqbool said.