Daily Times

UPPER DIR: Water of the river Kumrat has become a serious threat to the forest of Devadar trees in the scenic valley of Kumrat as it has entered into the forest cutting soil from the trees’ roots and destroying the forest.

The beauty of Kumrat valley is due to these trees and the forest. The Kumrat valley has always been known as a famous tourist spot across the country and hundreds of tourists would visit the area.

However, it got an extreme attention of tourists when the PTI chairman Imran Khan visited the valley in May, this year, and after that hundreds of thousands tourists came here in during Eidul Fitr and even after it.

The Devadar of Kumrat is considered a good one compared to other Devadars in the region because of its clean and neat wood structure and the furniture that is made from it.

Exports and locals said that the average age of the trees of Devdaar in the forest of Kumrat was more than 200 years, adding that the Devdaar tree adulated in 60 to 80 years.

Experts said they feared if the river’s water was not stopped and diverted from the forest and the trees were not protected then the water will sharply cut the land and unveil the roots of trees and thus the precious forest would be destroyed soon.

The forest department officials, district administration of Upper Dir, officers and politicians do visit Kumrat valley in summers to enjoy its natural beauty. However they had not given attention toward this issue yet.

Mohammad Kamran, a tourist, said that he had been extremely disappointed when he saw that those trees were being destroyed due to the river water . He said that it was the responsibility of the forest department to make proper arrangements to protect the Devdaars and its forests.

Another tourist, Asim Kamal, said that the forest was the only source of beautification of the Kumrat valley and if the forest was destroyed then Kumrat would never remain an attractive tourist spot for tourists.

He said the forest department and the local administration should build retaining walls at the river side and make other proper arrangementst to stop water from entering into the forest and protect the trees from destruction.

Ikram-Ud- Din, a local resident of Byar, said that apart from it, the residents as well as tourists used Devdaar trees as a fuel and it was being cut un-necessarily and brutally in Kumrat.

He said that it should have been stopped and the government and the forest department should take a stern action against it, added that government could also get big revenue if it took the fallen and old trees in its custody and sell them and plant new trees.

People said that if proper attention was not given to the protection of these trees and the forest in Kumrat, then Devdaar forest would be destroyed which would be extremely shocking act both for the government and for the district of Upper Dir.