illegal logging known as ‘Chainsaw Operation’ is taking effect with impunity within various forest areas because of the attention on Galamsey activities.
The operators are having field days and are destroying farms and forest reserves with their activities in areas within the Western, Western North, Brong, Ahafo and Ashanti Regions.
Sources in these regions has it that the illegal loggers are doing serious business at the blindside of forest guards and forestry officials whose focus has been diverted on illegal miners .
It is also alleged that some of the forest guards are aiding the illegal loggers in cutting down the trees in the forest without hitches.
According to these sources, the illegal loggers easily transport their loot to the neighboring countries and towns because of slackness on the part of forestry officials.
checkpoints for forestry officials are virtually useless because the illegal loggers are alleged to be assisted by forestry officials to divert their routes to outwit them.
One of the forestry official in an interview stated that the depletion of forests in areas where there is no illegal mining is escalating .
“There is the need to go after illegal logger (chainsaw operators) just like the way the illegal miners are being chased because forest officials are confused as to where they should focus,” he said.
As the country’s attention has been shifted to solve illegal mining issue which is destroying our water and river bodies. Loggers have taken advantage to cut down our trees in the forest reserves.
