The development schemes of Forest Department, costing Rs 340 million, have failed to produce the desired result, raising questions about large scale irregularities in use of funds, Business Recorder has learnt.
According to sources in the department, the schemes included planting of salt-resistant tree species in the coastal zone of Sindh with a cost of Rs 12 million, establishment of coconut and oil palm farms in the coastal zone of Sindh (Rs 148 million), rehabilitation and propagation of drought affected coastal mangroves of Thatta district (Rs 184 million), and combating desertification and reforestation of riverine forests of Sindh (Rs 3.5 million).
On receiving reports of irregularities in funds of these schemes, sponsored by Sindh Coastal Development Authority (SCDA), they said a committee had initiated a probe into the matter. "In a report, the auditor-general of Pakistan had also showed concern over the issue and pointed out irregularities in expenses of about Rs 80 million", they said.
About the scheme of planting of salt-resistant species, they said, the conservator of forests, planning research, monitoring and evaluation, Hyderabad, in his report stated: "The field observation and perusal of records reveal that the scheme was mostly failure. Whatever the very few seedlings, saplings and germinated seed is available, it has also no future. The scheme being ill-planned has been a failure and that there are remote chances to make the scheme successful."
The report pointed out that previous attempts of planting trees in the specified areas had failed due to the presence of underground saline water and, therefore, planning for such schemes in the coastal zones of Sindh was a wastage of funds. Mentioning the condition of Hazari Forests, the report says "The land could be used for physical exercise of animals."
Sources said that an assistant director of SCDA had prepared a report, which said the paddy crop under the cover of reclamation was raised during the entire period of the project and the main objective of the scheme of planting salt-resistant trees was totally ignored. "According to this report, an SCDA team that had visited the area was informed that over 329,500 container plants were raised.
However, the team failed to find any tree plantation other than 'Babool' or a nursery of the container plants. The SCDA had also asked the forests department whether any inquiry regarding the loss of over 329,500 container plants had been carried out or not, the report claimed", sources said.
They said the then Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim had also expressed concerns over the poor maintenance of the oil palm plantation during a visit to the scheme. Dr Arbab had also ordered immediate suspension of the services of the DFO Thatta, they said.
They said that the Sindh Coastal Development Authority had asked the forests department to provide success percentage of the entire area - 8,000 hectares - with the help of maps, satellite imageries, and GPS so that ground verifications and monitoring etc could be carried out by it.
Furthermore, they said, the conservator of forests along with the chief conservator visited the target areas in compartments 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 35 of Mad Nasri forest to verify the development works reported: "The visit of the areas revealed that the scheme is total failure and the traces of some development could be seen only in hardly 10 to 15 percent area - the above position indicates that the scheme is a failure and all expenditures of more than Rs 3.4 million charged are wasteful."
"The condition of forests such as Baoporandas, Bijora, Shah Lonko, Hilaya, Viran, Panhwar, Saeedpur, Pennah, Kathri, Miani and Vikri was pathetic as logging had been carried out and the lands had been converted into banana and sugarcane fields, which were under the control of the cronies of the politicians", sources added.
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