Illegal felling of pine trees irks green activists

Despite a blanket ban on the felling of trees in Himachal Pradesh, the illicit cutting of pine trees in the Renukaji Forest Division’s Shillai Range has sparked outrage, raising questions about the accountability and vigilance of the forest department.

The illegal activity, which occurred in Ronhat near Gujarot village, saw lush pine trees felled on forest department land by unidentified individuals. Reports indicate that the trees were chopped into smaller logs using axes and transported across Bhangaal Khad, all in broad daylight, despite strict orders against such acts issued by the state’s forest department.

Himachal Pradesh’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) had recently imposed a state-wide ban on felling green trees — except for khair (Acacia catechu) — to conserve forest resources. This directive followed a review meeting led by the Chief Minister, mandating strict compliance from all field officers. However, the large-scale manual cutting of trees suggests the activity may have been ongoing for days, highlighting the failure of field staff, including beat guards, to notice or act against the perpetrators.

Earlier, trees like eucalyptus and bamboo could be cut without special permissions, but widespread misuse of this allowance led to the illegal cutting of restricted species such as deodar. In response, the administration has tightened regulations, with the forest department working towards issuing a formal notification to strengthen existing verbal directives.

The Ronhat incident underscores the gap between official orders and their ground-level enforcement. Local residents and environmentalists have expressed outrage, demanding accountability from forest officials and immediate action against those involved. Concerns have also been raised about the impact of such activities on biodiversity and climate stability, with fears of severe degradation to the region’s green cover.

Conservator of Forests (CF) for Sirmaur, Vasanth Kiran Babu, confirmed that an investigation has been launched. He stated that the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Renukaji, has been instructed to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit findings promptly. Environmentalists and locals are calling for stricter monitoring systems and accountability measures to prevent further breaches and to ensure effective implementation of conservation efforts.