The forest post in Jaiharikhal near lansdowne is not being used for the intended purpose for quite some time now. Due to this, the locals living nearby have started dumping garbage here. The cantonment board’s guard post in the forest appears to have been made for dumping garbage.
In the past, the cantonment board’s forest guard used to be present at this post but now this post has been vacant for quite some time. It is said that the old and damaged condition of the post is the reason for it being kept vacant. As a result, those living nearby have started using the vacant post as a garbage dumping site. Due to the absence of a guard, the illegal lopping of oak, rhododendron and other green trees is being undertaken blatantly in the woods here.
When asked, the cantonment board executive officer Mahesh Chandra Saini said that he is unaware of this. The board will ascertain whether illegal lopping has been undertaken in its woods and reasons for the post being kept vacant will also be taken into cognisance.
It is pertinent to mention here that due to the guard’s post remaining vacant and consequent dumping of garbage by locals at the site, a stretch of the bridle path linking Jaiharikhal to lansdowne is also littered with garbage. Those using this bridle path prefer to take a detour to avoid the garbage strewn stretch of the path.
Many people can be seen indulging in illegal lopping of green trees in the area due to the protracted absence of the guard at the post. It now remains to be seen whether the authorities concerned facilitate the repair of the damaged post and if measures are taken to clear the garbage and prevent its dumping here. Concerned citizens have stressed on the need for posting a guard at this post to prevent dumping of garbage and illegal lopping of green trees here.