HYDERABAD, April 2 The Indus Development Organisation has given an offer to the Sindh government and forest department that if Khebrani and Rais Mureed forests are declared lease-free forests, the organisation will undertake to rehabilitate them for the benefit of livestock owners whose livelihood depends on the forests.

Speaking at a news conference, the members of Khebrani forest protection committee of the NGO, Ameer Rajar, Ghulam Hussain Khoso and Ghulam Rasool Khoso said that the organisation had been working for the last three years to protect and rehabilitate Khebrani and Rais Mureed forests in Matiari district against heavy odds.

They said that the organisation received financial support from the UNDP`s GEF/SGP programme and the WWF in this connection.

They said that they had to face conspiracies and attacks by the lease holders who were trying to destroy the forests not only by burning the wood but by chopping trees.

They claimed that it was due to the efforts of the organisation that Khebrani and Rais Mureed were again giving the look of a forest.

They said that the lease-holders always tried to extend their areas through different methods and alleged that some members of Sammo community were in the forefront in violating the agro-forestry policy.

The Sammos had not planted trees on 25 per cent of the area they had acquired through lease as required by the agreement but they had also cut more trees to acquire more land for cultivation, they said.

They said that due to the resistance of the organisation`s volunteers, false cases were registered against them and they were being constantly harassed. They alleged that even Khebrani police were not taking any action against the destroyers of the forests.

They appealed to the federal and the Sindh governments to order an inquiry into the destruction of the forests and ensure withdrawal of false cases against the volunteers.

ROAD The nazim inaugurated a road leading to Tando Mir Mehmood here on Wednesday evening.

The road, said to have been constructed at a cost of Rs10 million, will benefit tens of thousands of people of union council-13 and 14 and adjoining areas.

Speaking on the occasion, the nazim said that a network of roads was being laid in Hyderabad to provide modern travelling facilities to the people. He said that the district government had also constructed hospitals, schools and parks in every locality.

The nazim appealed to the people not to hold marriage parties on “costly” roads.

A large number of district government officials and public representatives attended the inaugural ceremony.