Forest officials seize two ‘illegal’ planer machines at Bhadarwah

Acting tough against the forest offenders, sleuths ofBhaderwah Forest Division seized two “illegal” planer machines here on Monday.

Acting on a tip off about the use of planer machines beingoperated illegally to manufacture timber products used in construction works, ateam of forest officials headed by Range Officer Shafqat Khakan Malik under thesupervision of DFO Bhadarwah Chander Shekhar, raided two premises at villageSungli, 3km from Bhadarwah town, and seized two planer machines.

   

“We have been getting information for some time thatplaner machines have been installed illegally and are being used to manufacturebuilding material including doors, windows on large scale from green timberextracted from the adjoining forests,” said Shafqat Khakan Malik, RangeOfficer Neeru Range.

“Today, we raided two premises belonging to Rafiq Buttand Basharat Hussain and seized two planer machines installed at theirrespective residential houses in Sungli village,” Officer added sayingthat legal action will be initiated against the offenders.

It is notable to mention here that while foiling two majorattempts of inter-state smugglers to illegally transport endangered medicinalherb, Zakhm-e-hayat (Bergenia ciliata), forest officials seized hugeconsignment of the rare herb on interstate border at Bhadarwah in Jammu andKashmir’s Doda district during last fortnight.

According to reports, Forest officials seized 500 kg ofZakhm-e-hayat (Bergenia ciliata) worth Rs 3.50 lakh at Padri meadow oninter-state Bhadarwah-Chamba Road on June 30 and 650 kg of Zakhm-e-hayat worth Rs 5.50 lakh along inter-stateBhadarwah-Chamba Road on July 10, which according to officials was beingtransported to the Chamba town of Himachal Pradesh.

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