STATE TIMES NEWS
BHADARWAH: The green gold in Bhadarwah is in danger due to continuous illegal cutting by forest mafia in connivance with corrupt forest officials of Forest Division Bhadarwah in Doda District. Bhadarwah is the lone green area of Jammu region where black Deodar is found only after California in the world but the cutting of Deodar and pine trees is going on at an alarming speed without any check. The higher authorities of Forest Department and administration in general were time to time informed by the media persons through sting operations in the dense forest belts about unabated cutting of trees but to no avail clearly indicating that the authorities are also involved in share with forest mafia and corrupt forest officials. Local people alleged that the successive governments have been raising only hollow slogans to save green gold and crores of rupees have been drained in the name of environment awareness programmes but the mafia hand in glove with corrupt forest officials is enjoying the freedom of cutting Deodar and pine trees in the forests of Bhadarwah.
Sources revealed that the Forest Protection Force is not active enough and as a result green forests have been shrinking in erstwhile district Doda at an alarming speed. “The field staff and ‘Forest Protection Force’ are mute spectators to the felling of trees as well as timber smuggling”, they added.
On specific information provided by the villagers, the STATE TIMES lens team visited different compartments in Cheralla Range of Bhadarwah Forest Division and obtained enough evidence of illegal cutting of trees by the forest mafia.
Today, the team visited compartments 11 to 18 i.e. Bhallara to Puneja area Block Cheralla falling in 2nd Cheralla Forest Range and found heavy damages to green wealth of the region. Media has been carrying reports about such damages to forest wealth.
Villagers alleged that there is heavy damage in other compartments also. NPP Youth District President Neeraj Singh Manhas informed that mass felling of green gold is going on unabated in Forest Division Bhadarwah without any check and alleged that forest officials are hand in glove with forest mafia. Manhas appealed to Forest Minister to depute a special team of forest officials to check the damage in Forest Range Cheralla adding that the local people are ready to help tshe team to assess the damage done by the mafia in the area.
It is pertinent to mention here that Supreme Court has banned cutting of green trees but in Forest Division Bhadarwah activities countering the rule of law is on the rise.
