Official raises concerns over encroachment at Ayubia National Park

ABBOTTABAD: Divisional Forest Officer of Wildlife and National Parks Mansehra has expressed concerns over the approval process of Hilda Estate building plan and termed it encroachments within the Ayubia National Park.

He highlighted the need for strict adherence to conservation laws and called for immediate corrective actions to safeguard the ecological integrity of the protected area. In a letter addressed to Conservator Wildlife National Park, DFO wildlife national Park Mansehra stated that Ayubia National Park was a legally protected area under Section 29 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife and Biodiversity (Protection, Preservation, Conservation, and Management) Act, 2015. He wrote that any modification to its boundaries or land use required prior approval from the Wildlife Management Board, as mandated by Section 35 of the Act.

Encroachments within reserved forest areas violated the Forest Ordinance 2002 and the Wildlife Act, necessitating strict enforcement of conservation laws, the letter said. While expressing concerns over survey and demarcation conducted at Donga Gali, the DFO raised concerns over non-compliance with established standards.

He stated that a total of five kanals and 10 marlas of reserved forest land had been encroached upon under GDA approvals and pointed out major encroachments which included Jamali House, 29 marlas, Dr Anees Khalid Mehmood, 47 marlas, abandoned bungalow, 20 Marlas, Sherpao House, 14 marlas beside an encroachment of 4.2 marlas by Hilda Estate had been recorded, requiring immediate legal action under the Wildlife and Biodiversity Act 2015.

The DFO wildlife highlighting the ecological impact stated that Ayubia National Park was a critical habitat for apex predators such as the Common Leopard (Panthera pardus) and the Wolf (Canis lupus), which played a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. He said that encroachments disrupted these natural habitats, increasing the risk of human-wildlife conflict and undermining conservation objectives.

He asked for re-survey and corrective measures as validity of the current survey was highly questionable due to technical discrepancies.A comprehensive re-survey involving all relevant stakeholders, including the Survey of Pakistan, the Wildlife Department, and the Forest Department, was imperative.