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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Unidentified picnickers have set fire to an old tree, estimated to be around 200 years old, according to locals in the village of Demka in Duhok province, triggering public outcry in the area.
Locals are frustrated that picnickers have burned down one of the 200-year-old oak trees in their area and they call on the government to take action against the perpetrators and anyone else involved in ruining the nature of the Kurdistan Region.
"We are very saddened by the burning of this tree. This tree was 200 years old. We were making a lot of use of it," Arif Gulli, chieftain of Demka village said, adding “this is indeed a catastrophe.”
He went on to add that the burned-down oak tree was of great importance for the beauty of the nature of their area.
Forest rangers have vowed to arrest those found guilty of having burned down the tree.
"Our investigations are ongoing to reveal the identity of the violators, those who had gone to the area for picnicking and set fire to the tree. As soon as they are tracked down, we will apprehend them and execute legal actions against them," Jamal Saado, commander of the Duhok environment protection directorate said.
This is not the first time that people have been involved or held accountable for cutting trees in the Duhok province. Last year, a man was arrested by forest rangers for cutting down more than 1,000 oak trees in the province.
Locals and officials in many other parts of the Kurdistan Region, including Erbil province, have warned that the cutting down of trees, mainly old oak trees, is becoming a dangerous phenomenon, especially in the mountainous regions.
Green spaces in the Kurdistan Region are also severely damaged due to sporadic armed clashes and aerial bombardments of Turkey with Duhok province bearing the brunt of the natural crisis.
Kawa Sabri, head of Duhok’s forestry and agriculture directory, told Rudaw in April that around 50 square kilometers of woodland have been damaged in Duhok in 2021 due to the conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Locals are frustrated that picnickers have burned down one of the 200-year-old oak trees in their area and they call on the government to take action against the perpetrators and anyone else involved in ruining the nature of the Kurdistan Region.
"We are very saddened by the burning of this tree. This tree was 200 years old. We were making a lot of use of it," Arif Gulli, chieftain of Demka village said, adding “this is indeed a catastrophe.”
He went on to add that the burned-down oak tree was of great importance for the beauty of the nature of their area.
Forest rangers have vowed to arrest those found guilty of having burned down the tree.
"Our investigations are ongoing to reveal the identity of the violators, those who had gone to the area for picnicking and set fire to the tree. As soon as they are tracked down, we will apprehend them and execute legal actions against them," Jamal Saado, commander of the Duhok environment protection directorate said.
This is not the first time that people have been involved or held accountable for cutting trees in the Duhok province. Last year, a man was arrested by forest rangers for cutting down more than 1,000 oak trees in the province.
Locals and officials in many other parts of the Kurdistan Region, including Erbil province, have warned that the cutting down of trees, mainly old oak trees, is becoming a dangerous phenomenon, especially in the mountainous regions.
Green spaces in the Kurdistan Region are also severely damaged due to sporadic armed clashes and aerial bombardments of Turkey with Duhok province bearing the brunt of the natural crisis.
Kawa Sabri, head of Duhok’s forestry and agriculture directory, told Rudaw in April that around 50 square kilometers of woodland have been damaged in Duhok in 2021 due to the conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
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