Danishwar Hameed
Despite a ban, the illegal cutting of walnut trees is being frequently reported from the Waltangoo village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
Locals speaking to The Kashmiriyat told that the Green Walnut trees are being illegally cut down by a contractor at a time when the Horticulture Department is planning to officially declare Kashmiri walnut as ‘fully organic’. The authorities have not been strict with people cutting down walnut trees illegally, they said.
The chopping down of the Walnut trees is an offense under the Preservation of Specified Trees Act 1969 in the erstwhile state.
Amid the demand for organic walnuts in Kashmir, the authorities in January granted a week’s time for the axing of scores of Walnut trees in three districts of Jammu Kashmir that according to them poses threat to life and property.
According to the official figures, the axing of nearly two dozen walnut trees was permitted by the Assistant Commissioner of Central Kashmir in the first week of January.
The official figures reveal that the authorities in district Shopian have permitted the axing of twenty walnut trees followed by the district Ganderbal and Kulgam with one walnut tree respectively.
However, the locals said, the law is violated on a daily basis.
Meanwhile when contacted to Tehsildar Devsar Shakeel Ahmad he said that strict action will be taken against the contractor who is involved in cutting of walnut trees in Waltangoo village.