Waris Ramzan
Baramulla, June 21: Recent windstorms have left a trail of destruction in the forests of North Kashmir’s Tangmarg area, with extensive damage reported in Baderkot and Ferozpora forest blocks. Thousands of conifer trees have been uprooted, causing concerns among local residents and environmentalists.
Abdul Rasheed, a local resident alleged discrepancies in the Forest Department’s enumeration process. “The department is covering up the true quantity of fallen trees during the survey,” he said
Another resident, Bashir Ahmad, voiced serious concerns about mismanagement and lack of transparency. “This becomes a mafia when such natural destruction occurs. We have no idea where the crores worth of timber goes. Is there any accountability? The government should intervene and keep a close eye on this,” he said.
An environmentalist speaking on the issue, stated, “This massive loss of trees shows the urgent need for sustainable forest management and stronger measures to combat deforestation.”he said
When contacted, Range Officer Lateef Qadri about the matter, he stated , “There is a proper mechanism in place. Trees fit for firewood are separated from those suitable for timber. Once marked, the State Forest Corporation (SFC) takes possession of the fallen trees, and the area will be cleared within a month,” he said.
Qadri also confirmed the extent of the damage. “The Baderkot forest block has been particularly hard-hit, with approximately 4 lakh square feet of fallen trees. Enumeration is ongoing to assess the total damage accurately,” he added.
“While deforestation due to natural calamities is unfortunate, we are committed to afforestation by planting new saplings in the affected areas to restore the green cover,” Qadri assured.
