Forest owners in KP cry foul over unpaid royalties

PESHAWAR: A resentment is emerging in various forested areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as valuable timber goes to waste due to unnecessary delays in government offices and unpaid royalties.

Forest owners in the region are frustrated over the government’s inaction in addressing these pressing issues.Iftikhar Ahmed, a forest owner in the picturesque Usherai valley of Upper Dir district, told The News that he and his community have been deprived of royalty payments for a decade.

“The last time we received any royalty was in 2013,” he lamented. “Since then, we have been patiently waiting for the authorities to collect the fallen timber and disburse our due payments, “ he added.

The problem extends beyond delayed payments. Iftikhar said the alarming issue is of trees succumbing to decay due to the lack of timely collection.“Countless trees have fallen due to natural causes, but they are left to rot,” he said, urging the government to intervene and allow forest owners to collect the valuable resource.

“As per the forest policy, authorities must ensure scientific management of forests. Under this policy, certain harmful trees need to be felled to allow other nearby trees to grow. Additionally, owners should be allowed to collect trees that have fallen due to winds,” he added.

Sohail Khan, a resident of the Lajbouk forested area in Lower Dir, echoed these concerns, adding that illegal timber smuggling is exacerbating the situation.“In one case, despite reporting the illegal felling of around 70 trees in the year 2012, the authorities have failed to take action,” he claimed.

The issue of deforestation has recently gained significant public attention, with social media platforms flooded with images of rampant tree-cutting in various parts of the province. This has sparked widespread outrage and calls for stricter enforcement of forest protection laws.

Local communities are demanding immediate action from the government, including a crackdown on timber smuggling, facilitation of fallen tree collection, and the timely release of outstanding royalty payments.

They believe that these measures would not only benefit the local population but also generate revenue for the government.When confronted, the Divisional Forest Officer in Upper Dir Murad Ali Shah acknowledged the delays in royalty payments and attributed them to ongoing disputes among local communities. He assured that efforts are underway to address the issue and form a committee to oversee the collection of fallen trees.