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| Dozen illegal saw mills operate in Kathua, FD in slumber | | | Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 11: In environmentally fragile State like Jammu and Kashmir the violation of Forest laws is a common feature. More than one dozen saw mills, which are running in district Kathua with impunity as the Forest Department watches helplessly.
Sources in Jammu and Kashmir Forest department informed Early Times that as per Forest Protection Act, a saw mill within the periphery of 8 kilometers from the forest cover is illegal but same law has been violated with impunity.
"Nearly a dozen saw mills, which are even less than five kilometers away from the forest cover are operating and department has reportedly turned a blind eye towards such violation", an official pleading anonymity said.
He further said that majority of these illegal saw mills, were set up along National highway and in adjoining to Hiranagar tehsil, there were nearly half a dozen. "When new Forest Minister Bali Bhagat took charge, the department officials had shown some activeness and few illegal saw mills were closed down", he said, adding that but now the same old system has been running and the saw mills have been running, with active connivance of the officials concerned.
Sources said that more the saw mills operational, more would be the felling of the trees and such practice has been going on abundantly in various parts of district Kathua, and vast stretches of forest cover, has been depleted. "On an average, trucks full of green wood are transported from forest area towards cities and after reaching the saw mills, same forest produce is sold to the brick kiln owners as a fuel", they said.
"Recently, department had taken action against some saw mill owners, and during past week a saw mill in Bhatindi was also seized by Jammu wing of Forest department, but no action has been taken for reasons best known to the authorities concerned", the official said.
The saw mills, which are in the Municipal limits, or in the Industrial area are also allowed to run but despite having a list of illegal saw mills with the department, no action has been taken and a benefit has been given to the illegal saw mills owners.
"It is a huge nexus between the official of Forest department and the illegal saw mills owners, who have been escaping the department's action only by greasing the palms of the officials", sources alleged.
Assistant Conservator of Forest Kathua Range, Ashwani Kumar said that there was no saw mill, illegally operating in division Kathua as it falls under Municipality and Industrial Center.
"As far as Jasrota and Samba Range of Forest department is concerned, we had received complaints against three saw mills, out of which action against two has been taken, while the third one was not working", he said.
He further said that during a meeting of Deputy Commissioner Kathua and Samba, when the issue of illegal saw mill, came to fore, it was decided that before taking any action, time would be given to saw mill owner, for taking space in District Industrial Centers. "Some have applied for the same, while some saw mill owners had appealed for permission to run secondary saw mills, which can be operational within radius of three kilometers from the Forest area", he said, adding that some saw mill owners have also taken stay from court, otherwise there was no leniency on department's side. |
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