Daily Times

District Sessions Judge Syed Sharafuddin Shah on Thursday directed the Deputy Director, Anti-Corruption Establishment, Larkana, to conduct an inquiry through a Circle Officer into the cutting of trees on Larkana-Naundero Road,.

The judge ordered that the report be presented it within one month and if he finds involvement or negligence of anyone, he shall lodge the FIR at-once in accordance with law, under intimation this his office, without fail.

This order was passed by the court when a complaint under Cutting of Trees (Prohibition) Act 1992, Section 3, 4, 5 and 6 was filed by an advocate Oshaque Ali Sangi against Municipal Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, XEN Highways, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), contractor Arz Muhammad Jakhar, Jameel-ur-Rahman Hulio, Garden Superintendent, SHOs of Mahotta and Naundero police stations and SSP, Larkana.

In his application, the applicant said that when he was going to Sukkur he found some people cutting old Eucalyptus (Baid Mushk) trees from Chooharpur to Naundero adding on inquiry they revealed that they have been awarded a contract to chop off these trees. He said the trees and plants contribute significantly towards purification and they make their own food from carbon and release oxygen and they are helpful to settle out trap and hold particulate pollutants such as dust, ash pollen and smoke) which can damage human lungs, particulates are trapped and filtered by leaves, stems and twigs and washed to the ground on rainfall. He said a single tree can absorb as much as 330 lbs of carbon dioxide, 4 lbs of ground level ozone and 3 lbs of particulate matter. The DFO pointed out that Larkan-Naundero Road was being widened and the trees were coming within area of road extension, hence after due formalities contract of trees was given to contractor Arz Muhammad in the amount to the tune of Rs.1,32,00,000 and 25% part payment amounting to Rs.33,00,000 has been paid by him which has been deposited in the appropriate account of the state.

The judge in his order said that the application was entertained in light of the order dated 10.3.2011 passed by the Sindh High Court, Karachi in CP No.1666/2010. After hearing arguments of the applicant and respondents, the court ordered ACE deputy director to conduct an inquiry within one month and register FIR if found guilty.