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Written by: Tahir Nadeem Khan Yusafzai

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 13 June 2015

BHADERWAH: After continuous and dogged crusade by Media against the Forest Mafia in Chenab circle, Forest Department was forced to wake up from its deep slumber and as a face saving measure has retrieved a small portion of encroached land from Doda forest Division beside seizer some timber scants.   Environmentalists and social workers has termed this sudden and so called awakening of Doda forest Division as nothing but a mere drama under media pressure to show nature lovers in general and forest minister in particular that they are serious to save the environment and are trying their best to stop the illegal felling and retrieve the encroached forest land .

It is pertinent to mention here that Media started its tireless campaign against illegal loggers and corrupt forest officials who are reportedly hand in glove with the forest mafia since last two years by publishing stories of merciless green felling and its adverse effect on ecology and economy of the region every now and then but the officers sitting at the helm of affairs seem to be unmoved and most of the time gave safe passage to the forest mafia by making lame excuses. This pathetic attitude of the forest officers encouraged mafia in general and corrupt forest officials in particular resulting in an alarming situation of looting of green wealth in Chenab circle.

Despite threats by the forest mafia to the Media  and physical assaults on whistleblower, Media never stopped highlighting the plight of dwindling forest cover and kept on exposing the nexus between some forest officials and mafia which finally resulted in police taking action against the illegal loggers and initiated continuous operations in Doda and Bhadarwah forest divisions by making huge seizer of several thousand cft of green timber and arresting more than a dozen smugglers in last three months which forced state Govt to start a helpline number for the whistle-blowers, and a reward for those who give information about timber smuggling.

Recently in an interview to a leading news channel, State Forest minister Bali Bhagat confessed that there is a big nexus at some places between forest officials and mafia he further revealed that some officials have already been identified and strict action will be taken against them.

Environmentalists seem to be unsatisfied by the assurance of Forest ministry and alleged that instead of taking an action straight away forest ministry is just trying to buy some more time to give a safe passage to the officials involved.

“ Forest minister is fully aware of the loot of forest wealth in Chenab circle as we have been sending him paper cuttings along with still photographs and video footage as well but after remaining mum for the last three months, he instead of taking a concrete action against the erring officials, he came up with a statement that he has identified the officials involved, “ said environment journalist Mansoor Qadir adding that I am surprised to see that after all the revelations made by print and electronic media, for what forest minister is waiting for as we have high expectations from him that he will be different from the former forest minister  and will save the precious wealth of the nation but till date we have found no difference on the ground so far.