Khair Tree Cutting Spree Continues Unabated: A Battle of Blame Between Forest and Revenue Departments

A Game of Pass-the-Buck: No Clear Responsibility as Khair Trees Fall

• Despite suspension on Khair tree cutting, illegal felling continues unabated in the Bhalwal area, with recent incidents reported in Sarote Mawa and Showa villages.
• While the Forest Department claims the illegal cutting occurs on both state and private/State land, the Tehsildar Bhalwal denies receiving any complaints from the department.
•  The Forest Department asserts that their jurisdiction only extends to seizures during transportation, placing the responsibility on the Revenue authorities to prevent cutting on private land.
•  The ongoing illegal activities, coupled with the unresolved Thandi Choi scam, where despite a year passing since the incident was reported and investigated, no action has been taken by the Forest department, highlights a lack of effective enforcement, raising concerns about environmental protection and resource management. Had the Forest Department taken decisive action after the Thandi Choi incident, it would have served as a deterrent against future Khair tree felling.

Mohit Mehra

Bhalwal, May 25: Despite suspension on Khair tree cutting, rampant illegal felling continues unabated in the Bhalwal area, raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of enforcement by the Forest Department and a disturbing lack of cooperation between the Forest and Revenue authorities.
On May 16, 2024, a Forest Department patrol recovered ten cut pieces of Khair wood from the backyard of Zabeer Hussain, son of Zaffar Din, residing in Sarote Mawa. No one was found at the residence at the time of discovery. A DD extract and letter No. 605/5-1, was submitted to Forester Manawar Bhalwal for further legal action.
Further incidents of illegal Khair tree cutting came to light on May 24, 2024, when 12-15 quintals of cut Khair wood were discovered in a dump at village Showa. The Forest Department, alerted through reliable sources, a letter, No. 656/5-1, was submitted to Forester Manawar. A Forest team subsequently arrived at the site, seized the wood, and transported it to a forest check post.
These instances, coupled with the unresolved Thandi Choi scam, where despite a year passing since the incident was reported and investigated, no action has been taken by the Forest department, highlights a lack of effective enforcement, raising concerns about environmental protection and resource management. Had the Forest Department taken decisive action after the Thandi Choi incident, it would have served as a deterrent against future Khair tree felling.
While the Forest Department maintains that the illegal Khair tree cutting occurs on both state and private lands, asserting the responsibility rests with the Revenue authorities to stop the illegal felling, the Tehsildar Bhalwal refuted these claims. The Tehsildar stated that the Forest Department has never approached them with any complaints regarding illegal Khair tree cutting and that no forest officer has met with her. She further stated that the Tehsildar office has only recently written a letter to the DFO seeking cooperation in identifying forest lands.
The DFO, in turn, asserted that the Khair tree cutting takes place on private land and that the Forest Department’s jurisdiction only extends to seizures during transportation.
Attempts to contact the concerned Forest Ranger for a response proved futile.
This blatant lack of coordination and apparent disregard for the environmental impact of the illegal Khair tree cutting raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of both the Forest and Revenue Departments. With no clear accountability and a blatant disregard for a complete ban, it remains to be seen whether the illegal cutting of Khair trees will be effectively curbed and the perpetrators held accountable.