SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has said there has been no significant increase in reported cases of illegal tree felling and deforestation in Sogam and adjoining forest ranges of Lolab constituency over the last three years, with 71 trees reported damaged and 40 FIRs registered during 2023-24 to 2025-26.
The figures were provided by the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department in response to an unstarred question by Lolab MLA Qaysar Jamshaid Lone in the Legislative Assembly.
The data covers South Lolab, North Lolab and Matchil forest ranges. In 2023-24, 35 trees were reported damaged and 20 FIRs registered, while the corresponding figures fell to 15 trees and nine FIRs in 2024-25. In 2025-26, 15 trees were reported damaged and 11 FIRs were registered.
The department has also reported six damaged trees and five FIRs in 2026-27 so far, comprising three damaged trees and two FIRs in South Lolab, two trees and two FIRs in North Lolab, and one tree and one FIR in Matchil.
Separately, Annexure-B records 26 damage cases and 20 FIRs in 2023-24, followed by 22 cases and nine FIRs in 2024-25, 18 cases and nine FIRs in 2025-26, and eight cases and five FIRs in 2026-27 so far.
The department said 2,985.46 cubic feet of timber linked to illegal felling cases was seized in Lolab during the period covered by the data. Of this, 968.92 cubic feet was seized in 2023-24, 1,039.19 cubic feet in 2024-25, 635.36 cubic feet in 2025-26 and 341.99 cubic feet in 2026-27 so far.
South Lolab accounted for the largest share of the seized timber over the period, with 1,812.20 cubic feet, followed by North Lolab with 992.31 cubic feet and Matchil with 130.95 cubic feet.
At the same time, 8,138 cubic feet of timber was issued under the Kashmir Forest Notice to 98 beneficiaries in Lolab constituency. The department supplied 1,834 cubic feet to 30 beneficiaries in 2023-24, 3,034 cubic feet to 34 beneficiaries in 2024-25, 2,774 cubic feet to 25 beneficiaries in 2025-26 and 496 cubic feet to nine beneficiaries in 2026-27 so far.
The J&K Forest Development Corporation also supplied timber to bonafide consumers through Concessional Timber Sale Depots, providing 2,064 cubic feet in 2023-24, 1,709 cubic feet in 2024-25 and 2,506 cubic feet in 2025-26.
The government said the range-wise details of cases registered against offenders involved in illegal felling, along with timber supplied under the Kashmir Forest Notice, had been provided in the Assembly reply.
