Javed Shah
The adage there can be no smoke without fire is proving right in the forests of Kupwara where an alleged nexus of smuggler and forest official is working overtime setting fire to forest compartments in order to hide the damage worth crores caused by them. The devastating bush fires in the forests of Kupwara have taken toll on the flora and fauna and the green gold worth billions of rupees.
Unfortunately the department concerned has still not arrived at the accident site.
The locals are smelling foul play regarding the ill fated ‘accident’ because of two recent events of timber smuggling and coal in which the nexus between forest department officials, police officers and smugglers was found.
According to the villagers of Chandigam Lolab, one Abdul Hameed of the same village was arrested by the Police Station Kalaroos along with 200 cu ft of illegal timber.
The smuggler was set free by SHO Meraj-ud-Din barely a day and without registering a case against the culprit, sources said.
Locals of the village accuse the SHO of having received kickbacks from the smugglers and further allege of a nexus between the forest officials, local police and smugglers.
‘’We have made repeated pleas to the higher officials of forest department but it seems they are comfortable with what is going on in the area for the past 2 years. We are desperate to save our precious environment and particularly our forests which come up after centuries.”
SHO Kalaroos Police Station, Meraj-ud-Din, said, “I arrested one Abdul Hameed of Chandigam, Lolab and seized 200 cu ft of smuggled timber from his possession. The seized timber is lying in our police station but we had to let Abdul Hameed free because of some legal drawback.”
Last week 250 cu ft of precious timber was seized by the concerned DFO Langate at Palpora, Magam from a tipper, JK04F 2893, and there were about a dozen locals present during the raid.
However, just after three hours the tipper along with the smuggled timber was set free without investigating the incident.
The DFO told etala’at that he had not seized any timber.
A month ago the same forest officials recovered 200 cu ft timber from smugglers from a truck, JK04F 2426, but the accused was also set free, sources said.
Both the seized trucks belong to the same person, sources added.
Chief Conservator Forest Abdul Razzaq Khan expressed ignorance regarding the seizures and timber smuggling in the area, “I do not have any information about the entire episode. I will initiate an enquiry.”
One SRTC truck is rendering its services to the smugglers of the area and according to witnesses the truck is being used to transport the smuggled timber from the forest to the respective destinations.
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