Peshawar   -  Forests in various areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are littered with fallen trees that are going to waste, and authorities need to allow the collection of wood, particularly in mountainous regions, to prevent it from being wasted.

During a visit to Upper Dir, this correspondent learned that forest owners have not been paid the royalty earned through the collection of fallen trees from their forests for the last decade.

Iftikhar Ahmed, a forest owner in Samkot Batal village in the Usherai valley of Upper Dir district, told The Nation that forest owners of the area had been paid the last royalty a decade ago.

“The last time we received royalty was in 2013. Since then, we have been awaiting the collection of wood from our forests and for the royalty payments,” he added.

Ahmed also said that there are trees that fall due to wind, and these fallen trees are currently rotting in the forests. He urged the government to stop timber smuggling and allow forest owners to collect their fallen trees.

“As per the forest policy, authorities must ensure scientific management of forests. Under this policy, certain harmful trees need to be felled to allow other nearby trees to grow. Additionally, owners should be allowed to collect trees that have fallen due to winds. But both these measures have not been taken for a long time,” he added.

Sohail Khan, a resident of the Lajbouk forested area in Lower Dir, highlighted that timber smuggling is a significant problem.

“In 2012, we filed a complaint with the forest department regarding the illegal felling of around 70 trees in the Lajbouk forests by some individuals. But our case is still unresolved,” he claimed.

It is worth mentioning that deforestation has gone viral on social media recently, with photos of tree cutting in Swat and other areas being shared, leading to widespread condemnation. Local residents of forested areas have demanded that the government stop illegal timber smuggling and tree cutting. They also demand that the government allow the collection of fallen trees from forests, which would benefit local forest owners through royalty payments and generate revenue for the government.

Meanwhile, Divisional Forest Officer in Upper Dir, Murad Ali Shah, told The Nation that a major reason for the delay in wood collection from forests is disputes among the local population.

“We understand the need to collect fallen trees from forests and have started forming a committee for this purpose. However, the committee formation is facing hurdles due to local disputes,” he added.

When asked about the years-long delay, he admitted that nearly a decade has passed since the last royalty was paid to the people of the Usherai Darra area. However, he assured that they are now trying to resolve the issue, as the collection of wood benefits both the government and the community.