Zarihar Tral residents protest against fencing of forest area
Demand intervention of LG, CM
Pulwama: The residents of Zarihar area of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district are aghast over the move of the forest department.
The residents of the Zarihar area said that there were around eight forest portions in their area and seven of them were already fenced by a wire.
They said that only the pending forest portion is now being wired around thereby leaving no land available for the locals.
Mohammad Akbar Khan, a local resident said that they are fully dependent on cattle for their livelihood and they were using the same forest for grazing their herds.
He said that if only the pending forest portion will be taken away where they will go then as they don’t have any other source of income.
“We will have to sell our sheep, goats, cows and other animals and we won’t be able to earn anything and will die of starvation,” he said.
Zareena a local resident said that a graveyard and most importantly a school is too has been put inside the wired area.
She questioned how their children will be able to reach their schools and where will they take their animals if this area will be closed too.
Locals said that they will come on roads if their demands won’t be met at an earliest.
They have sought attention of LG Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in this regard.
