Deforestation, Timber Mafia and Corruption in Diamer, by Liaqat Karim
Have you ever had a by-road trip to
Gilgit-Baltistan (GB)? If yes, I am sure you have seen the several cubic feet
timber, laid on the sides of KKH in Diamer district. Every day tons of wood is
smuggled to various parts of Pakistan from GB and new trees are cut to replace
the smuggled wood In July 2014, I visited GB and saw dozens of trucks laden
with timber coming towards south on KKH. Nobody knows who permitted this havoc.
After the lifting of ban on cutting of trees in GB by Raja Pervez Ashraf, on
March 15, 2013, more than 500 old trees were cut and several thousand cubic meter
of wood was sold. The lifting of ban was reversed later, however the damage had
been done.
Poverty of natives and corruption in
the relevant institution has exacerbated the issue. People who have the
authority to issue the permits have become millionaires by signing permits and
allowing the massacre of the local flora. The ruthless deforestation in the
area has caused a lot of issues on local as well as national level. The
Flash floods have become more frequent causing loss of lives and property locally
as well as nationally. GB government in collaboration with the natives shall
take immediate steps to stop further deforestation. The culprits shall be held
accountable who have misused their authorities either to decorate their lavish
houses using this timber or to sign the permits for making money.
According to the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Pakistan lost33.2 percent of
its forest cover between 1990 and 2010. Most of this deforestation
was done in northern parts of Pakistan, including Diamer district of GB.
Although, the issue was aggravated after the lifting of ban on transport of
wood to other parts by Pakistan People Party (PPP) government in 2013, however,
the corrupt leaders and government officials have been experts for finding
loopholes to allow deforestation in the area. Instead of protecting these
resources the government official in departments like department of forest,
have been involved in promoting deforestation by issuing illicit permits for
the transport of wood.
The impacts of denuding of these
forests include soil erosion which is causing siltation in Tarbela dam, flash
floods causing loss of lives and property, increase in flood water causing
destruction in the Indus plain downstream and much more. Recent floods claimed
more than 250 lives across Pakistan. These floods killed more than 8 people and
damaged more than dozen houses in Diamer district, alone. Furthermore, the deforestation
is casing loss of biodiversity in the area at an alarming rate. The endemic
wild animals are either killed by the hunters or are forced to evacuate by
destroying their natural habitat. Any increase in precipitation due to
construction of dams in future may trigger serious landslides from the barren
mountains of GB. Moreover, this deforestation may also alter the climate of the
region causing extreme weather patterns in the area
Due to the good quality of wood, the
demand of wood from this area always remains on the peak making it an easy way
to make money. According to the people involved in this viscous business, the
price of wood from the chopped trees is Rs200 per foot in GB, whereas it makes
more than Rs4000 per foot in larger cities. It is obvious that, the natives are
not getting enough, yet the native are the first victims of incidents like
flash floods and environmental degradation. The locals should understand this
issue and should play their role to stop this catastrophic activity in the
region.
The limited resources of the natives,
their dependency on the timber mafia and the corrupt system has played a
malicious role in the massacre of these trees. Generally, government of
Pakistan and specifically, government of GB should take serious steps to
overcome these issues in the area. Natives shall be provided with other
means of earning to stop their involvement in such activities, rather they
shall be used to conserve the forests by proving incentives. Moreover, the
mafia and the corrupt officers involved in the smuggling of timber should be
brought to justice. Especially, the government officers who misused their power
shall be identified through a judicial crackdown and serious action shall be
taken against them. Unlike the past, a debate in the national assembly shall be
made mandatory to lift any ban or to change any policy regarding the transport
of wood from this part of the country. A single guy, who most probably may be a
corrupt individual, should not decide the fate of the fragile environment of
this area. The money earned from the cut trees shall be strictly used for
afforestation in the area.
It is in the best interest of the
natives and the people living downstream of GB to stop deforestation and
encourage afforestation in the area. In order to avoid frequent landslides,
flash floods, extreme weather patterns, and loss of biodiversity, we should
raise our voice against the timber mafia of GB. Let us speak against
deforestation in Diamer at every available forum and force the authorities to
take serious steps to ensure security of the remaining trees on the mountains
of GB.
No comments:
Post a Comment