CID to probe ‘Pushpa film-style’ wood flow to Pandoh Dam after Kullu cloudburst
Shimla, July 7,
Himachal Pradesh government has ordered a CID probe into the mysterious flow of hundreds of tons of wood into Pandoh Dam following the devastating cloudburst in Kullu on June 24. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while chairing a high-level disaster management meeting, directed the CID to ascertain the origin of the wood and whether rampant illegal felling is to blame.
CM Sukhu said that though the Forest Department had conducted a preliminary inquiry, the CID would now uncover the full truth. The incident has sparked public outrage, with social media flooded with videos and posts raising serious questions over the functioning of the Forest Department.
Congress MLA from Theog, Kuldeep Singh Rathore, also voiced concern, saying that destruction of forests is worsening disasters in the state. “Thousands of trees are being axed in the name of development. This will severely affect tourism and future generations,” he warned. Rathore also urged the government to take strict action and treat this matter as a wake-up call from nature.
However, Forest Development Corporation Chairman Kehar Singh Khachi dismissed Rathore’s claims, calling them “irresponsible” and asserting that the logs were forest debris accumulated over years, not the result of illegal felling.
The Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shiv Pratap Shukla, has also expressed concern, recounting how he recently saw widespread tree-cutting in Dodra Kwar and appealed for environmental conservation.
Meanwhile, suspicions are rising over indiscriminate felling under the guise of developmental projects like ski ropeways. The Chief Minister is also reviewing relief for those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed in the recent cloudbursts.
The CID probe is expected to bring clarity on the alleged green felling and expose those responsible for environmental destruction.
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