Chitral fast losing forests

A satellite image of IUCN shows that only 4.7 per cent area of Chitral is covered with forest over the total area of 14500 sq km and the situation is becoming more dangerous with every passing day. A very low percentage of the forest is under Oak trees, which are ruthlessly cut for fuel-wood. Because of the scarcity of fuel wood in the northern part of Chitral a certain percentage of the population in upper chitral has now became dependent on the market to meet their fuel wood requirement. Thus the remaining Oak forest is under immense pressure, as a result the cost of fuel-wood has gone up to the sky, and it has now become a luxury item for the common man.

In southern valley, deforestation coupled with overgrazing is seriously threatening the very existence of life here. Then there are private claimants to the ownership of different sections of forest. This exacerbates the already high pressure on the existing forest from outside as well as from within the district.

In northern Chitral, the situation is becoming more dangerous as the people cannot afford to buy fuel-wood at the current rate of Rs 120 per 40 kg in Chitral town and transport it to the far-flung area. The dealers are not abiding by the rate fixed by the government and the scarcity makes the people pay the exorbitant rates.

The poor have now started to cut the fruit trees to meet their energy requirements, this situation seems to lead to extinction of the rare quality of apricots and apples in addition to pushing the population further down the poverty line.

The poorest section of the community is now increasingly uprooting the non-wood bushes and herbal plants such as artemisla and others. This process will ultimately deprive Chitral of the precious biodiversity its mountains contain.

In this situation an earnest appeal is made to the concerned authorities to urgently provide alternative source of energy for the people of Chitral before it is too late lest this beautiful land becomes a mountain desert. It is strongly suggested that Gas filling facilities may be established at different locations at affordable rates so that the remaining forest, vegetation, non-wood bushes and medicinal plants are saved from extinction.

The Concerned NGOs are also requested to take note of this fact and invest their resources in the establishment of small (non micro) hydro-power generation projects where ever feasible in the remotest parts of the district and they should starts a rigorous environmental awareness raising campaign. The money spent in such projects is considered to be worthwhile investment.

Zain Ul Abidin
Ex-MPA and President PPP
District Chitral