Forest dept fails to nab culprits
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Nowshera (Rajouri), August 21
Even after hundreds of trees were destroyed in forest fires in this border district, the Forest Department, despite evidence of the local mafia behind such fires, has failed to arrest even a single person for causing a loss to the “green gold”.

The police authorities may not say openly, but they, too, regret that even as hundreds of trees have been destroyed in the forest fires here, the department has not taken cognisance of even a single case and has not even sought the help of the police.

A forest fire in the Nowshera area. A file photo

Local sources said hundreds of trees had been destroyed in the forest fires during the last two to three months in the Nowshera area only, but the department had remained a mute spectator.

The sources further said even as there was evidence of existence of a nexus between the timber mafia and some lower-rank forest officials, the higher authorities of the department had failed to crack down on the mafia. They added that even some locals burned down trees to encroach on the forest land.

A police officer of the area on condition of anonymity also confirmed that hundreds of trees were destroyed in forest fires in the area. “Even as there has been a huge loss to the green gold in the area, the department has not taken cognisance even in a single case and has not registered any FIR with us. They even don’t seek our cooperation to arrest the culprits behind these fires,” the officer said.

“There may be a nexus between the mafia and some lower-rank forest officials, but the higher authorities of the department are not probing such a possibility”.

K. Ramesh Kumar, divisional forest officer (DFO), Nowshera, confirmed that there had been a huge damage to the trees in his area of responsibility, but the department had not arrested even a suspect responsible for the fires.

“People lodge unnecessary complaints against each other for setting up forest trees on fire. First, we have to probe such complaints and then we can take action as per the provisions of the J&K Forest Act. In cases, where villagers set forest trees on fire, we impose penalty on them,” the DFO said.

“I have not heard about any nexus between the forest officials and the timber mafia and these are just allegations with no substance,” he added.

The DFO also confirmed that they had not registered any FIR with the police in connection with the forest fires but they seek their cooperation.