CHITRAL: Mining activities being undertaken in the Neardat Gol community conserved area near Chitral city have endangered the population of some rich species of wildlife, including snow leopard and Kashmir Markhor.

The local community members have expressed their strong reservations over the grant of lease by the mineral development department to an investor for mining of copper in the central place of the conserved area.

The conserved area is known for its rich biodiversity consisting of Kashmir Markhor, Himalayan lynx and 200 species of birds, including chakur partridge, snow cock, Monal pheasant, Himalayan snow cock, Egyptian vulture and Griffon vulture. The forest consists of deodar, oak and wild almond trees.

Activists of the community conserved area, including Ebadur Rahman, Shuaib Ahmed, Mustajab Khan, Noor Rahim Shah and others, told reporters that it was part of the Gahiret-Golen conservancy where trophy hunting of Kashmir Markhor was carried out, while it was one of the popular habitats of snow leopard.

They said the excavation and mining activities in the area would force the wildlife species to flee to the nearby conserved areas of Golen and Jughoor Gol or Gahiret Gol, where they would face food scarcity.

They said after leasing the central part of the conserved area for mining, there was no need to retain the village conservation committee, which worked for protection of biodiversity. However, divisional forest officer, Lower Chitral wildlife division, Farooq Nabi said the mining was banned only in the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and that Neardat Gol did not fall in any of the two categories.

RELIEF ITEMS: Non-food items, including tents, blankets and kitchenware, were distributed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) among 118 Kalash families of Bumburate valley the other day. They were affected by the recent floods triggered by torrential rains.

PRCS KP chapter secretary Said Ali Hassan told reporters that relief operation had been completed in Lower Chitral, while it was delayed in Upper Chitral as roads to the affected villages had yet to be reopened for vehicular traffic.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2023