Irregular Khair Tree Felling Exposes Lapses in Nurpur Forest Division

Nurpur, July 29 – Allegations of forest mismanagement have surfaced from the Fatehpur and Rehan blocks under the Nurpur Forest Division in Himachal Pradesh. Despite a clear felling deadline of 12 days, tree-cutting operations of dried khair (katha) trees, initiated on 10 July 2025, continued well past the 22 July deadline, reportedly extending to 26 July and beyond in Junat and Chhatar Ghadohli beats.

Shockingly, many felled tree stumps remained unmarked, and officials were seen hastily numbering them when questioned. Loaded khair logs lacked proper classification markings, violating standard forestry norms.

Forest officials gave conflicting statements. While Block Officer Hardeep Singh cited rain and leave of absence, Forest Guard Surendra admitted that 280 out of 370 trees were already felled. However, he refused to clarify their storage location, saying only “Corporation will know.” Further, Divisional Forest Officer Amit Sharma denied awareness of the operation, despite a copy of the felling order clearly addressed to him with a 12-day limit.

In Chhatar Ghadohli beat, cutting was seen continuing as late as 27 July, although the March 12, 2025 order did not specify a deadline. When asked for the document, field staff either refused to share or claimed to have seen different versions.

Adding to the opacity, felled trees were found stored far from the actual felling site, in Sakri area of Rehan beat, away from public view. Questions remain why logs from Ghadohli were diverted to another beat. The contractor (bander) Hemraj, whose name is on Lot No. 39,412024-25, stated he had sublet the contract due to illness, a violation of contract terms if true.

Repeated calls to Corporation DMs went unanswered, with officials passing the responsibility in circles—from Nurpur to Dharamshala and back.

This series of delays, missing documentation, and evasive accountability raises serious questions about forest transparency, supervision, and potential collusion. Locals are demanding an independent probe into whether public resources are being illegally exploited under the garb of legal permissions.