KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Forest Preservation Unit officials in southeastern Khost province say about 80 individuals have been arrested for cutting forest trees during the past one and a half years in the province.
Mohammad Yunus Mohammadi, deputy director of the unit, told Pajhwok Afghan News they patrol day and night in all districts to prevent deforestation and arrest violators.
He said they had arrested about 80 people for cutting forest trees and referred them to judicial organs.
He added: “We are active in all districts and we prevent and arrest people who cut down forest trees, yesterday we also arrested 20 people in Dowa Manda districts. Since the establishment of this unit, forest cutting has declined by almost 90 percent.”
Mohammadi said 1,150 pieces of chopped green wood and 1,700 pieces of different types of wood had been also seized during the period. He asked local people to avoid cutting forest trees.
On the other hand, Khost Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock department officials said various programs and projects were underway for restoration forests in the province.
Kamaluddin Kamal, an official of the department, told Pajhwok they would plant thousands of fruit-bearing trees in upcoming spring.
He added: “This year, we transferred 2,240,500 pine-nut seedlings to Sapari and Zazai Maidan districts alone, which will be planted in forests next spring.”
Kamal also said this year around 129,000 fruits and non-fruits trees were planted in the forests of Sabari, Bak and Zazai Maidan districts in cooperation with the United Nations Food and Agriculture organization (FAO).
For the protection of these plants and restoration of forests, ten water reservoirs are beig constructed in the mentioned districts with each having the capacity to store 200,000 liters of water, he said.
He also called people’s cooperation in rehabilitating and protecting forests necessary and asked them to cooperate fully in this regard.
Most of the mountains of Khost province are covered with pine nut trees.
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