The Banjar and Sainj valleys in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh saw a flash flood on June 25. The flash flood claimed lives and damaged property, but the rain also revealed the forest mafia. What matters is that during the flood, a significant amount of timber was observed floating in the ravines. In Mandi’s Pandoh Dam, piles of wood were visible, and the entire structure was covered in wood. In light of this, the subject of who is chopping down trees in Kullu’s woods by assuming the role of Pushpa is now being asked. It is important to remember that concerns over tree cutting in Kullu’s woods existed even before this.
Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore from Shimla Theog has questioned his own government and has accused the forest mafia of being active in the matter and has demanded an immediate investigation from the Chief Minister. Rathore said that “a large amount of wood has accumulated in the Pandoh Dam. This is a direct result of illegal felling. Such scenes were seen last year as well, but the government did not take any concrete steps. Now the same situation is being created again. The chief minister should take immediate cognizance of this and strict action should be taken against illegal mining and felling of trees.” He alleged that the Forest Department is not discharging its responsibilities properly. “A similar situation had arisen in Thunag in 2023, where a large amount of wood was seen floating. Rathore said that when the department is under the Chief Minister himself, then negligence on this cannot be tolerated at all.” Along with this, he also expressed concern about seasonal disasters in the state. He said that recently clouds have burst in many parts of the state and more than half a dozen people have died. “This has become an annual process. As soon as the state recovers from one disaster, another disaster comes up. This is a very serious issue and requires deep thinking and concrete action on this.”
