RAHIM YAR KHAN: With almost a month into this year’s monsoon, no plantation drive has been launched in the district by the District Forest Division despite high temperature of 47 degrees Celsius, which feels like 52, in June and July.

This is not the least, the number of trees in forests at six different locations in the district are gradually shrinking due to timber theft and dryness caused by inadequate irrigation, resulting in environmental degradation.

The Rahim Yar Khan Forest Division consists of one sub-division and six forest ranges with a total staff of 166 employees. There are six plantations, including Walhar Reserved Forests (RFs) in Sadiqabad tehsil spread over 4,632 acres gross area and 3,250 acres planted area.

The remaining plantations are in Liaqatpur tehsil. They are Abbasia RFs on 6,749 acres gross area and 4,430 planted area, Abbasia Extension Protected Forests (PFs) on 3,410 acres gross area and 2,050 acres planted area, Qasimwala PFs on 5,763 acres gross area and 3,000 acres planted area, IL Abbasia PFs on 8,400 acres gross area and 1,262 acres planted area and IL/Il Abbasia PFs on 5,212 acres gross area and 50 acres planted area.

Plantation at six locations in district shrinking

In the past, the main objective of launching the spring tree plantation campaign in these forests was to increase trees and fight environmental pollution and global warming, improve climate, provide habitats to the wildlife, provide shade, shelter and food to the birds, animals and human beings, to control soil erosion and water logging and to meet the increasing demand for fuel and industrial wood.

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According to Abdul Ghaffar, a resident of Walhar, the Walhar plantation was once considered the largest forest in the district along main railway track near the Punjab- Sindh border.

He said this forest has been an earning hub not only for the forestry department employees but the local population as well, as they steal trees. Its irrigation water is sold to nearby farmers due to which the existing trees are gradually drying.

The office of forestry department was in dilapidated condition and the plantation was not properly being maintained.

As far as the Abbasia and Qasimwala plantations are concerned, they are far away from the Liaqatpur city. This situation makes the theft of timber from these forests very easy.

A former nazim of a union council of Liaqatpur Arshaad Gujjar says that 70 to 80 pc of trees were cut from all five plantations with the involvement of the forestry department block officers. He said the the old Abbasia Canal flows through these plantations and the whole theft of timber is being done from four headworks including head Bhul Chuk 137 DB, Kallar Wala, Sanghir Wala and Qasimwala.

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“If these four points are blocked or monitored by the forestry department or police, timber theft could be eliminated.”

Gujjar further added that many wood cutting machines had been installed near these four points by people involved in timber theft. They had employed labourers from the Labana clan on Rs 500 daily wage who carry up to 400 kgs wood on their motorcycles.

“When these labourers are caught, influential people and forestry department employees get them released. If any inquiry starts, the forestry employees put that area on fire or release irrigation water to hide the theft.”

Gujjar said the forestry department officials involved in corruption were never punished.

A forestry department block officer requesting anonymity told this correspondent that a successful plantation campaign was launched in 2022 in which 30,000 siblings were planted at Bhul Chuk area of Abbasia and they were growing well. He said that the auction of timber was suspended for last many years so its theft was not recorded. He claimed that he completed a plantation on 100 acres of barren land near Abbasia forest but due to less budget in the department further plantation was impossible.

RYK Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Raja Javed Iqbal said he could not give his stance as he was busy attending court cases.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2024