Some cosy projections made here and there about increasing forest cover and containing loot of Green Gold is tantamount to the proverbial a drop in the bucket looking to the enormity of the problems of fast shrinking areas of forest cover in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir coupled with illegal possession of vast chunks of forest land by the influential people numbering thousands. Added to these problems is the issue of non-timber produce extraction. In this connection, High Court of Jammu and Kashmir has put a big question mark on the very functioning of the Forest Department saying that the green cover of Jammu and Kashmir is “decreasing continuously” which was due to encroachments and illegal cuttings of trees. What action has been taken in this regard by the concerned authorities is what the court has asked. It is pertinent to note that the court, taking into cognizance of all aspects, has been “constrained” to observe that the “Forest Department’s working cannot be appreciated.”
It is an established fact that a practice continuously sustained for decades in Forest Department over the non- transparent and absence of fair process of allotment and execution of contracts for extraction of non- timber forest produce needs to be streamlined and made distinctly transparent. High Court has, as a natural corollary, expressed concern over such a process. It has, therefore, asked the Secretary to the Government Forest Department and Chief Conservator of Forests to take an appropriate action in the matter. Needless to add, the Forest Department had under its ”control”, a large area but the same was not being monitored properly. The court has observed that there were several ways and means to do the same. All the thefts, felling of trees, encroachments, transporting thieved timber from hotspots of the forest areas to sale destinations cannot be all ”managed” without active connivance of insiders and that is largely eating into the vitals of this priceless boon gifted by the nature to Jammu and Kashmir.
Why after all, should forest cover decrease despite claims of afforestation and ways employed towards helping eco-system? On the ground and as observed by the High Court, no tangible results are found and both arid and semi-arid areas which could have reverted to becoming productive areas due to afforerstation and added into the cover, have been receiving scant attention from the authorities. Just an example of forests in Kathua in Jammu region, being repository of sub- tropical biodiversity needed a preferred attention by employing a comprehensive plan. Needless to add, these forests only have a unique place in the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in that bamboo trees are grown naturally plus being home to Chir pine trees. These trees are of immense economic importance besides having ecological connotations. The immense pressure on land is unfortunately getting diverted to forest lands and resultant encroachments, killing of precious species and thus a big challenge to forest conservation. About Kashmir division, the period of the last three decades witnessed wanton destruction of trees and encroachment of large forest areas otherwise humming with groves and clusters of lush green trees.
There needs a stop to be put to these grabs, encroachments, felling of trees, and other ways of damaging our forest reserve and virtual looting of national wealth. Courts’ intervention relives hopes of rejuvenating and restructuring the process of reversing continuous decrease in forest cover and encroachments. Stringent but urgent steps need to be taken, as observed by the court too, in respect of illegal forest cutting.
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