Nuristan police asked to prevent forest cutting

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): The governor has ordered police to prevent deforestation in eastern Nuristan province and arrest those involved.

Governor Hafiz Abdul Qayum told Pajhwok Afghan News he issued the directives to all security forces in a recent meeting at the governor’s house to prevent illegal cutting of jungles in the province.

He said he had also ordered police to arrest those arbitrary cutting forest trees and bring them to justice.

A number of forests cutting machines have also been seized and the police have been directed to prevent deforestation and capture those involved, Qayum added.

He said the Environment Departments had been asked to develop a draft bill regarding the cutting of dried trees.

On the other hand, provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Ghulam Mohiuddin Sarwari said deforestation had completely stopped in Paroon, the provincial capital and police in districts had been ordered to prevent the same.

He said a number of residents of Chanso village had been arrested by police in connection deforestation.

Tribal elders in districts had promised to cooperate with police in preventing the cutting of jungles, Sarwari said.

A tribal elder and former Nuristan provincial council head, Maulvi Inayat Rahman appreciated the governor’s house action against deforestation, but said cooperation of tribal elders was essential.

“Prevention of forest cutting is a difficult job and capturing of people would not help until the public starts cooperating with police”, he said.

Nurisan is a mountainous province where people meet their needs by selling wood.

mds/ma