/ Exposing The Timber Mafia - Cutting More Trees Than Sanctioned -II

Our trail of Mr. Arjun Singh S/O Alam Singh led us to another incidence which proves that he continues to cut trees in the area under the jurisdiction of DFO Lansdowne. This incidence also proves that the timber mafia is very active in Uttarakhand.

We have come to know that the same Mr. Arjun Singh was recently involved in cutting trees in village Pali near Gumkhal which is in the centre of the road route between Syalna village and Khairgarhi where he had cut trees earlier. Once again he took permission from Forest Department to cut a few trees probably 4 in number and cut about 70 trees. All the trees were green.

If such tree felling is allowed and no action is taken against the contractors and officials who are responsible for the safe keeping of government property then one day we will have no forests in Uttarakhand. Such destruction of forests is resulting to irreparable damage to the environment and causing wrongful gain to a handful of contractors and corrupt government officials. It is pertinent to mention here is that none of the felled trees were for the personal use of the villagers. They were cut for commercial use only though the official records show that the trees. All the cut logs were taken away in trucks which were sent to destinations outside.

The brazenness with which Arjun Singh continues to operate is appalling, especially to conservationists. Trees still continue to be cut as long as people like Arjun Singh continue to operate blatantly and without any restraint.