April - June, 2010 - Sustainable Development Policy Institute

SDPISustainable Development Policy InstituteToxic smoke from factories ispolluting the air and the wastedisposed in the open is increasingthe pollution level which is verydangerous for our futuregenerations. He said on this daywe should pledge that we woulddo something for improving theenvironment. The director ofenvironment protection agencyAshraf Khan, Abdul Haleem Khanof Wildlife Department gavedetailed briefings onprotecting theenvironment.Achhrian: Trees being cut recklessly under thepretext of permits; forests turning into empty landHundreds of square feet of wood is being openly brought to saw mills inconnivance with the forest guardsDaily Shamal, Abbottabad June 10, 2010Acharian (Our Correspondent) The local forest guardis bent upon turning the Achhrian Ziarat block forestsinto empty lands. Though this is the season when allkinds of permits are banned the guard is misguidingthe people in the name of permit and sending hundredsof square feet of wood to saw mills every day. Shamalcorrespondent took pictures of the wood dumped atKund Tarla Bridge where it was brought only a dayago. When we asked the guard about the wood heresponded that it was being cut under a permit. Later itwas said that the timber is for a mosque. Even laterwhen the DFO was contacted he could not give asatisfactory answer. He said it is possible that thetimber being unloaded was cut before 16 May whenthe permits were valid.Mansehra: Cutting of trees continues at Koh TanglaiThousands of square feet of timber is being smuggled every day.Sakhi Sultan and Babu Iqbal are responsible for it.Daily Shamal, Abbottabad, June 11, 2010Mansehra (Courts Reporter)Forests in Koh Tanglai are beingcut ruthlessly. Thousands of sqfeet of timber is smuggled out ofBara Ziarat using Datsun trucks.Babu Iqbal of Saran Shinkiari andforest guard Sakhi Sultan areresponsible for this smuggling.Abid Hussain Shah the secretaryGeneral of Green Konish ValleyDevelopment Organization whiletalking to media persons inMansehra Press Club said that hewould go to the anti-corruptiondepartment with all the evidence ifDFO Aijaz Qadir fails to takenotice of the activity. He said thatforests are being destroyed inComparts and they have informedthe conservator of Hazara Rangeabout it.Aijaz Qadir appointed DFO, Timber smugglersgo in hidingDaily Shamal, Abbottabad, June 11, 2010Dhudiyal (Our Correspondent)Forest officials are tightening thenoose around timber smugglers inKund area. Posting of Aijaz Qadiras DFO has led to halt in cutting offorests. Timber smugglers havelaunched baseless propagandaagainst the efficient officers.These views were expressed by theowners of guzara forests in KundSayyadan UC of Achhrian.Pakistan Forest Digest Vol. 1, No. 1, April – June, 2010