Minister for Forests, Ecology & Environment Choudhary Lal Singh today informed the House that Bung (Charas) crop grown-up naturally in degraded forest areas is being destroyed in upper reaches of Bandipora, South Lobal Range, Kandi Range and parts of Kupwara forest Range. He said the bung growing area is located along high altitude degraded forest slopes and grasslands adding that the area is used as traditional behaks.The Minister was replying to a Calling Attention Notice of Qaiser Jamsheed Lone in the today.The Forest Minister said that the local inhabitants and shepherds of the Trurmkhan, Dewar and Lolab villages migrate to their "behaks" in the upper reaches of the forest ranges during summer for grazing cattle . As per the reports received, top portion of Rajpora regions and Compartments 40-41/SL, top portion of Trumkhan , Bumas regions, some of these migrants resort to cultivate potatoes in some areas illegally and along with potatoes, Charas, as a weed naturally grows in these areas, the Minister added.
The Minister informed the House that operation to destroy Bung(Charas) crop was carried out in the upper reaches within the forest area of the village Trumkhan, Devar and Lolab area of South lolab Forest Range, other forest areas in Kandi and Kupwara Range in July, August & October, 2015 simultaneously. The encroached forest area of more than one hundred kanal with Bung crop was cleared from the Bung cultivation and encroached forest land was retrieved.The Minister said that in May, 2016 a team was constituted by CF North, which visited these areas and it was found that the area was under snow and no encroachment was noticed. He further said that the forest area is under vigil of the department and the assistance of Forest Protection Force, District Administration and police is also sought wherever necessary.