By: Waris Fayaz
Srinagar: Despite a massive stockpile of fallen trees lying unutilized across Jammu and Kashmir, timber auctions have substantially reduced over the past two years. This has resulted in a steep decline in revenue generation, official data reveals.
Figures accessed by Kashmir News Observer (KNO) indicate that revenue generated by the Social Forestry Department (SFD) from its timber auctions has plummeted from Rs 480 lakh in 2022-23 to just Rs 124 lakh so far in the ongoing financial year (2024-25). In 2023-24, the revenue stood at Rs 166 lakh.
The sharp fall in earnings has raised concerns over delays and inefficiencies in the disposal and auctioning of available timber resources.
At the same time, various divisions under the territorial Forest Department have reported significant stocks of fallen and dry trees. According to the data, Anantnag tops the list with 2,150 fallen trees and 3,573 logs awaiting disposal, followed by Kupwara with 816 trees. Other districts include Srinagar with 205 trees, Baramulla with 137, and Pulwama with 56. No stock has been reported from Jammu division.
Sources said that despite these substantial inventories, no auctions of fallen trees have been conducted in the past two years, KNO has learnt.
Officials clarified that under existing guidelines, fallen and dry trees from areas managed by the Forest Department are handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Development Corporation (JKFDC). The JKFDC is tasked with the extraction, processing, and auctioning of timber through government-approved channels. These procedures are overseen by the Supreme Court-appointed Quality and Quantity (Q&Q) Committee, established in 1996 to ensure transparency and compliance.
In contrast, the Social Forestry Department manages its own auctions and sales of timber and firewood generated from plantations raised on degraded lands and community lands. The revenue decline being reported pertains specifically to the Social Forestry Directorate’s operations, not JKFDC’s.
Earlier, the Minister in charge of the Forest, Ecology & Environment Department informed the Legislative Assembly that enumeration of fallen trees is underway. However, no auctions have taken place in the last two years, both under JKFDC’s and Social Forestry’s purview.
Additionally, the Forest Department continues to provide timber for bonafide use to local residents under the Jammu Forest Notice (for Jammu region) and Kashmir Forest Notice (for Kashmir region), excluding Deodar species, as per government policy.
The lack of auctions and the resulting fall in revenue have sparked calls for streamlining processes and conducting timely auctions to prevent the deterioration of valuable timber stock.
