In April 2017, CM flying squad of Haryana arrested eight persons and seized 200 quintals of khair woods from the area of Thapli in Morni. (Representative Image/File)The rampant cases of illegal felling and smuggling of khair (Senegalia catechu) trees from different parts of Panchkula including from the shamlat and forest land in the areas of Kalka, Pinjore, and Morni has become the matter of concerns for the forest department and local police as well as. Three cases of illegal felling and smuggling of khair trees were reported in the district in the last three months.
In these cases, around 18 quintal of khair wood was seized and five people were arrested. In April 2017, CM flying squad of Haryana arrested eight persons and seized 200 quintals of khair woods from the area of Thapli in Morni. The flying squad also recommended departmental action against a few concerning forest department officers.
Arvind Kumar, a member of Shivalik Welfare Society, said, “There is a huge demand for khair wood in the market. Forest department auctioned the khair trees for felling but the people used to cut more trees than the sanctioned limit. The illegal felling of khair trees is high in faraway places of Morni and some parts of Pinjore and Kalka. On June 18, a man was arrested for stealing the khair wood from village Nanakpur near Pinjore. Later, three more men were arrested. There is a need for good coordination between the forest and the police department.”
When contacted, Conservator of Forest, Ambala, KC Meena, said, “We have a strong team of forest guards and volunteers active in rural areas to get information from the ground level about the felling of khair trees.”
“In recent cases, tip-offs were received by our forest guards. We also urged the local police time to time for developing their own intelligence about the felling of trees,” KC Meena further said.
