BRO vandalizes forests under garb of road widening in Bandipora

Border Roads Organization (BRO) has been vandalising forest areas in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district for past several months under the pretext of road widening, with forest department in deep slumber.
BRO is undertaking the road widening of 84 kilometre Bandipora-Gurez road through the forest areas of Bandipora and Gurez range rich with forest habitation including prized Deodar, Kail and Fir trees.
Locals and eyewitnesses said that BRO was felling trees from the forest area that too a regenerative forest area in broad day light as forest department has failed to keep check in these areas. They accused concerned forest officials of acting as mute spectators to the large scale felling of trees by BRO.
According to locals the most affected forest areas include Chandaji and Tragbal which include compartment number 81 and 82 of Khuihama forest range.
They said that BRO after illegally felling and uprooting trees including Kail, Fir and Deodar in the forest areas, dump them under the muck in gorges in these forests which is a gross violation.
“BRO has caused extensive damage to the forest cover in Chandaji and Tragbal areas by illegally uprooting and felling trees with JCBs and hydraulic machines without keeping environment concerns in mind,” said Abdullah Khan, a local.
He said that BRO is undertaking massive felling of trees in these dense forests under the garb of road widening project which is a serious concern.
Locals said that BRO has also made these forest areas dumping sites where they dump muck, thereby making the area vulnerable for landslides and posing threat to local population which is living in the foothills.
Mohammad Ismail Khan, another local said that the large scale felling of trees by BRO is taking place when the government is talking about increasing forest cover.
A forest official told us that even though the BRO has obtained permission from State forest department for the purpose of road widening in the forest area but under J&K Forest Act-1987, they cannot uproot or remove trees without the consent of the forest department.
He said that they have to inform forest department so that the forest officials could properly remove the trees that come under the demarcated road widening area. “They cannot remove the trees on their own which is a serious violation of the forest act,” he added.
Locals said that bulldozers and hydraulic excavators used by BRO for road widening have caused substantial damage to the forest ecosystem and cross sections in these forest areas.
DFO Bandipora, Irfan Rasool, said that they will lodge an FIR against BRO for causing damage to the forest area and compensation will be sought from them. “A team of range officers will be sent to the area to assess the damage caused by BRO.”
He said that BRO has obtained permission for road widening purpose in the forest area but they should have informed the forest department about the felling or removing of trees.