Extensive deforestation uncovered in Hazara, Malakand divisions

PESHAWAR: In a major revelation, extensive deforestation has been uncovered in the Hazara and Malakand divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Responding to the findings, the provincial government has approved key decisions regarding 100 timber woodlots and 1.95 million cubic feet (cft) of felled timber.

According to official documents, a copy of which is available with Hum News English, the Secretary of Climate Change, Forestry, and Environment briefed the KP cabinet, highlighting concerns raised by the growing public and institutional scrutiny surrounding forest logging.

The briefing detailed that keeping in view the adverse effects of deforestation, the then-Minister of Forestry halted timber felling, transportation, and disposal operations in June 2024 pending a report from the Forestry Planning and Monitoring Circle (FP&MC).

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The secretary presented findings from monitoring reports, which revealed that out of the 100 private timber woodlots inspected, 42 were deemed legitimate and clear for disposal. Permission was sought to proceed with the disposal of these logs, while legal action was recommended against individuals responsible for illegal felling on the remaining 58 woodlots.

The secretary highlighted the unauthorized logging of 46,472 cft of timber in the Lower Siran Guzara Forest, 63,468 cft in the Siran Guzara Forest, 79,000 cft in the Lower Kaghan Guzara Forest, and 6,082 cft in the Kalam Division Forest. The provincial cabinet was also requested to approve the disposal of clear logs from these areas and initiate actions against those responsible for the violations.

The documents further revealed that based on the FP&MC report, the cabinet approved the disposal of timber deemed legitimate and directed action against perpetrators of illegal logging. Additionally, the cabinet issued a directive mandating the use of geo-tagging for future forest logging operations to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

In October, the KP government submitted a report before the Supreme Court of Pakistan that the provincial forest department allowed chopping off six million cft of timber, and confiscated a total of 130,255 cft of timber, which was illegally cut during the last five years.