MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department has constituted a patrolling squad to curb deforestation and timber smuggling in the Agror-Tanawal Forest Division.
“This squad will remain on the move throughout the day to check deforestation and do away with timber smuggling in the widely stretched Agror-Tanawal Forest Division,” Saeed Wazir, the divisional forest officer (DFO) Agror-Tanawal, told reporters in Oghi on Tuesday.
Flanked by other officials, he said that different squads, comprising officers and forest guards, had been constituted to patrol the forests, the Oghi-Darband-Mansehra Road, and high-altitude areas in Agror and Tanawal.
“This squad will remain active day and night throughout the weeks and months, and we expect that with its patrolling, deforestation, and timber smuggling in our forest division will come to an end,” Wazir said.
He said his department had zero tolerance for the chopping of trees and timber smuggling anywhere in the province.
“Besides establishing this squad, we have also adopted other strict measures to deal effectively and with an iron hand with timber smuggling, which has not only been destroying forests but also depriving present and coming generations of a pollution-free environment,” he added.
He said that the performance of the squad would be monitored and reviewed on a daily basis for positive outcomes, and no negligence would be tolerated.
