Illegal Timber Smuggling Raises Alarm in Ganderbal

Ganderbal,  KNT: Rampant illegal exploitation of forest resources has been reported from the Sindh Range of Kangan in Ganderbal district, triggering serious concern among locals who allege large-scale plunder of valuable green assets despite ongoing afforestation drives aimed at environmental protection.

Locals said that while thousands of saplings are planted every year under government-sponsored plantation campaigns to conserve ecology, forest smugglers continue to fell green trees indiscriminately, causing heavy losses to national forest wealth. The illegal activity is reportedly rampant in Compartment No. 7 of Rishi Mohalla Akhal in the Sindh Range, where smugglers are accused of operating without fear of law.

According to inhabitants of the area, timber smugglers are illegally cutting trees deep inside forest areas and transporting the construction timber to other regions, where it is sold at high prices. They said such activities are not only degrading forest cover but also causing irreversible damage to the fragile ecosystem of the region.

Highlighting a recent incident, locals told the news agency Kashmir News Trustthat Ganderbal Police last week conducted a special operation in Wusan Kangan and seized 63 cubic feet of illegally felled construction timber. During the operation, the vehicle used for transportation was also seized and the driver arrested. The seizure, they said, has once again exposed the scale at which national forest wealth is being looted.

Locals have urged higher authorities to take immediate and effective measures to protect forest resources and ensure strict legal action against those involved in timber smuggling. They stressed that strong enforcement and sustained monitoring are essential to safeguard the region’s forests from further destruction.[KNT]