Nature lovers demand action against encroachments in Margalla Hills

Islamabad : The nature lovers have demanded of the government to take action against those elements who have illegally occupied the forest land that falls in the vicinity of the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP).

Nadir Khan, an environmentalist, said: “It is highly appreciable that the federal cabinet has ordered to remove encroachments from green areas of the federal capital.”

“At the same time, we want the government to turn its attention towards growing encroachment in the national park due to the absence of proper demarcation of its boundaries,” he said.

He said the Survey of Pakistan in 2017 had already presented a report about the demarcation of the national park but still no fence, pillars or walls have been built to stop illegal occupation of the forest land of MHNP.

Nadeem Rasool, a resident of Noorpur Shahan, said: “This village is situated in the vicinity of the national park area. It expanded illegally in last few years and now the residents have built illegal structures in the forest land of the national park.”

He said: “The trees that take some 20 to 30 years to grow to their maximum height have been removed from the area of the national park by the inmates of the village.”

An official document revealed that some forest area of the national park have been illegally occupied near Jungle No. 1, Bhara Kahu, Mouza Manga, Salkhitar, 22 Mile, Chhatra and Karlot.

Faisal Shirazi, a nature lover, said: “The federal cabinet has ordered to remove encroachments from Islamabad. It is good to see that the civic agency is all set to clear Margalla Road and other highways from encroachment but the issue of illegal occupation of the forest land of the national park should also be addressed on a priority basis.”