Prepare SOP for extraction of dry trees from forest: CM Sukhu to officials

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu asked officials to formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure effective marking, extraction, and disposal of dry trees, a statement issued here on Tuesday said.

Sukhu's directions came during a review meeting of the Forest Department and Himachal Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation (HPSFDC) on Wednesday.

Presiding over the meeting, Sukhu said to generate revenue, the timely extraction of dried-out trees from the forest before their natural decomposition was the need of the hour.

Currently, the state has around 87,000 salvage trees on the forest land, which can produce around 64,000 cubic meters of timber, the CM said.

He emphasized the monthly marking of such trees to facilitate their timely extraction and disposal. Sukhu directed the forest department and HPSFDC to collaborate with each other for the timely extraction of dry trees. For early disposal on a pilot basis, he suggested granting the forest department the authority to mark, fell, and convert trees into logs in certain forest ranges in the lower reaches of the hill state.

Emphasizing the need for staff rationalization in HPSFDC, the chief minister assured to address the issue of staff shortages through appropriate measures.