ISLAMABAD: The civic authorities have decided to establish five ‘forest’ check posts and barriers at the capital’s points of entry and exit to check forest produceand wildlife, in a bit to end illegal tree felling and timber smuggling.

An official from the Metropolitan Corporation (MCI) said a meeting was chaired last week by Additional Interior Secretary Rizwan Malik, during which it was decided that the MCI and the Capital Development Authority would set up five check posts in the city, in Bhara Kahu, Tarnol, Pir Sohawa, Narias and Shahdhra, to combat timber smuggling and maintain a complete record of wood being transported to and from the capital.

The MCI environment director general, Dr Sulman Sheikh, who also attended the meeting, confirmed that it was decided that the MCI and CDA would, for the first time, set up five check posts to stop timber smuggling.

He said that after the meeting, the MCI asked the district government to issue a no-objection certificate for check posts and barriers to be established at various locations. “It was also decided that the police would provide full assistance to the CDA and MCI, as and when required,” he said.

MCI told to fill forest guard vacancies to effectively monitor Margalla Hills National Park

It was also decided during the meeting that, in the event of illicit tree felling in the national park area, protection staff such as the protection gardener, forest guard, forester and range officer would be held responsible and would face departmental proceedings.

The meeting was attended by Chief Metropolitan Officer Asad Mehboob Kayani, Environment Director (Regional) Rana Tahir, officials from the Islamabad Capital Territory and others.

Officials from the environment directorate said the meeting also discussed the extreme shortage of forest guards – out of 52 sanctioned posts, the MCI currently has 22 guards too look over the national park and forest, which are spread over 40,000 acres. The MCI also has just two vehicles for patrolling.

The MCI was directed to fill forest guard vacancies to effectively monitor the Margalla Hills National Park and other green areas.

Environment directorate officials said that until recently, in the absence of any forest check posts, Islamabad was a haven for wood sales, with over 100 wood stalls in various parts of the city.

They said the MCI’s directorate of municipal administration (DMA) issued licences to run the wood business without any input from the environment directorate, but now the environment directorate will be responsible for issuing such permits.

“In the future, transit permits and licences for wood stalls and sawn timber shall be issued by the regional environment director, in line with the provincial government’s forest department. The DMA will transfer the whole record on the subject to the environment directorate,” an official said, quoting the meeting’s decision.

The environment directorate has taken some steps over the last two years to protect forests and wildlife.

These include measures to implement a ban on quarrying and a survey to check illicit tree felling.

However, sources said hundreds of trees have been cut down due to the connivance of some officials from the environment wing, while people have also built houses on part of the national park.

“If the decision taken at the meeting in question is implemented, I think it would be a big step towards protecting the fast deteriorating environment of the capital,” an official said.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2017