Jatkul tree cutting exposes gaps in forest protection

PESHAWAR: Large-scale tree felling in the Jatkul area of Upper Dir has drawn attention to weaknesses in forest protection in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with reported clearing of about 1,300 kanals of forest between 2019 and 2026 and continued cutting and sale of chestnut wood on a significant scale.

The area in question lies in the northeastern part of Upper Dir district and falls across two forest divisions, creating a dispute over administrative responsibility. The issue has triggered debate over the condition of the province’s forests, as critics say plantation campaigns remain limited compared with the level of logging taking place.

Jurisdiction dispute between forest divisions

Officials from both the Dir Forest Division and the Dir Kohistan Forest Division acknowledged that chestnut trees had been cut in Jatkul, but each pointed to legal and administrative constraints. Younas Khan, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer of the Dir Forest Division, said his division oversees 58,000 hectares of designated forest and 47,680 hectares of non-designated forest, which he described as property of local communities.

He said the tree cutting in Jatkul had taken place in the area of the Dir Kohistan Forest Division, adding that local residents may have used the wood as fuel. However, Arshad Khan, a range officer in the Dir Kohistan Forest Division, said the area falls under compartment 474 of the Dir Forest Division and is located around 2 to 2.5 kilometres away. He also pointed to staff shortages and legal limitations, saying locals cannot be prevented from using non-designated forests because of ownership rights.

The Dir Kohistan Forest Division is tasked with protecting 133,629 hectares of designated forest but is facing serious manpower shortages, with a large number of forest guard positions vacant.

Scale of wood use and market activity

A ground survey cited extensive wood consumption in Upper Dir, especially during the winter season from October to March, when households and commercial units rely heavily on firewood. Market data showed that during summer about 12,000 LPG cylinders are sold every month in parts of Dir Kohistan, while more than 67,000 are sold in areas under the Dir Forest Division.

Wood sales are higher still, with about 18,000 tons of chestnut timber sold in local markets each month for domestic and commercial use. Officials estimated that 14,000 to 15,000 tons of chestnut wood are burned or sold annually in the monitored markets alone. These figures do not include alleged large-scale movement of wood through tractors, pickup vehicles and head-loading from remote valleys including Kamrat, Thal and Lamuti.

Lawyer warns of court action

Peshawar High Court lawyer Tariq Afghan, who raised the Jatkul case after verification from local residents, criticised the large-scale cutting and rejected the view that the forest department is powerless in locally owned forests. He argued that ownership rights are meant to cover genuine household needs and not commercial use that damages forest ecosystems.

Afghan said legal recourse would be pursued if departments failed to respond. "If no reasonable action or explanation is provided by the forest and environment departments within a week, we will approach the court."

He said such activity violates environmental laws and poses risks to biodiversity.

The forest department, meanwhile, says it has stepped up action against the timber mafia. In the Dir Forest Division, officials say millions of rupees in fines have been recovered, thousands of cubic feet of timber have been confiscated, and hundreds of cases have been taken up in recent years. Several wood saw machines were recently destroyed in Dir city and nearby areas.