SRINAGAR: According to official data, there has been an 80% drop in the recovery from timber smuggling in the year 2023 as compared to 2021.
The data suggests that year 2021 recorded a seizure of over 18 thousand cubic feet of timber, while 2022 recorded a seizure of over 14k feet in the Kashmir Valley. The forest department confiscated 10,290 Cft of timber in the year 2023.
The department seized 2110 Cft in the month of May itself, which was the highest seizure in 2023.
Notably, the Forest Department of Jammu and Kashmir, along with the Forest Protection Force and J&K police, seized around 40 vehicles in 2022.
Moreover, the department seized 13 vehicles in the South circle, 17 in Srinagar circle, and 07 vehicles in the North circle, while the department has also recovered 2177 Cft illegal timber in the South Circle, 2443 in Srinagar circle, and 5945 Cft in the North Circle, in 2023.
The department has had a tough time dealing with the horse smugglers , as they use horses in hilly areas to transport the timber, causing massive damage to the forests, local news agency KNS reported.
According to the data, the department seized around 17 horses in 2023 in the South forest circle, while the central and North have recorded nil.
The Jammu Kashmir forest department also lodged 159 FIRs, where Kamraj range has the highest of 67 FIRs against timber smugglers.
Moreover, Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department has introduced Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Facial Attendance Management System for its field staff in an effort to improve accuracy and transparency in the department’s day-to-day operations monitoring.
“The launch of the app will bring transparency and more accuracy in the department to monitor daily operations. The launch of the app will also help to curb forest timber smuggling,” an official said.
He said that the department constituted high-level coordination and monitoring committees for strengthening the existing system of Forest and Wildlife Protection through improved coordination between the departments.
“The monitoring committees were further categorized into ‘Regional Level Forest Protection Committees’ and ‘Circle Level forest protection committees’ for better coordination and monitoring for the protection of forests, that majorly helped the department to bring a decline in forest timber smuggling and to add a new age to the flora and fauna of Jammu Kashmir,” he added. (KNS)
