SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Locals of South Waziristan districts has expressed severe concern over the growing incidents of Deforestation and said that valuable trees of “Diyar” and “Chilghoza” are being cut from the areas of Shekai, Barmal, Badar and Shawal and smuggled illegally across the border to Afghanistan or other parts of the country in the dark of night despite the presence of check posts.
Oak forests in Lower South Waziristan are being cut down at a rapid pace and used to make charcoal, which is a serious threat to the environment. Due to the lack of gas and electricity facilities in the area, the local population also depends on forests for their needs.
According to local complaints, some officials of the Forest Department allegedly provide passage to trucks in exchange for bribes. Recently, reports of financial irregularities and negligence have also come to light in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department.
The water level in Wana and its surroundings has dropped by 40 feet in the last three years. If the trees are gone, these gardens will dry up and agriculture will be destroyed. Deforestation will increase soil erosion in mountainous areas and severe flash floods during the rains will damage human settlements.
Local temperatures are being recorded to increase and the duration of the rains is becoming uncertain.32% of the forests of the former FATA are located in the areas of Waziristan alone. Chilgoza forests cover about 95,000 hectares, which are worth billions of rupees in the global market, but this area is shrinking due to illegal logging.
According to satellite data (GFW), thousands of hectares of forest area are being lost annually in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Although the government has launched projects like “Billion Tree Tsunami” and “Pak Army-supported tree plantation campaign”, but the pace of planting new trees is much slower than the cutting of old trees.
It takes 35 to 50 years for an oak or a diar tree to grow young, which the timber mafia cuts down in a few minutes. Despite strict laws, enforcement is non-existent. There is need of CCTV cameras and GPS tracking at check posts.
The local demands Subsidies on LPG should be given to the locals so that they do not cut wood. Transparent recruitment of local youth in the “Forest Guards” or “Nighban” force can also play major role.
