RASC News Agency: Reports emanating from Herat province in western Afghanistan suggest that individuals associated with the Taliban group are felling select Pine trees, purportedly to dry and vend them for personal gain. A reliable source within Herat province relayed to the RASC news agency on Saturday, Mar 9, that the municipal authorities of the province, in pursuit of their financial interests and in concert with other departments, have initiated the chopping of Pine and other trees.
The source further elaborates that presently, the felling of Pine trees by Taliban members is underway, instigating apprehensions among the residents of Herat. As per the source, the tree felling operation spans across Herat province, encompassing both the city and its 15 districts, orchestrated by the Taliban group, reaping substantial proceeds from this endeavor.
Moreover, another source within Herat province divulged to RASC that the Taliban, by all available means, are aggressively pursuing economic resources through diverse channels within society to augment their coffers. The source asserts that scores and hundreds of tons of urban trees have been felled by the Taliban and traded in various markets across Herat province. According to the source, wood prices in Herat province markets fluctuate between 120 to 170 kabuli rupees per kilogram.
Meanwhile, Ramin Shah, a timber merchant in Herat province, disclosed to RASC news agency that this year, compared to previous years, the province has experienced heightened precipitation, significantly impacting various societal sectors. He noted that the price of dry wood ranges from 90 to 200 kabuli rupees per kilogram. Shah remarks that the current market for dry wood trading has slowed considerably, contrasting sharply with previous years for wood merchants.
In response, Halim Sohrabi, a civil activist in Herat province, informed RASC news agency that the process of felling urban trees by Taliban members commenced from the early days of their ascendancy in Afghanistan and persists to this day. He contends that the Taliban execute the tree felling operation for Pine and other trees clandestinely and under the cover of night to evade detection by the media and the public. Sohrabi emphasized that the majority of trees felled by the Taliban are transported to specific locations and sold.
Authorities of the Taliban group in Herat province have yet to issue a statement regarding the felling of urban trees.
