Logs Floating in Floodwaters: Disaster or Smuggling?

Recently, during floods in Himachal Pradesh, large quantities of wooden logs and railway sleepers were seen floating in rivers. Such videos of the incident went viral on social media, shocking the public and even drawing the attention of the Supreme Court of India. This situation is not limited to Himachal; similar scenes have been reported in the Yamuna River, where wood was also carried downstream. Some people were even spotted collecting the floating timber during the floods.

In Yamunanagar, at least 50 people were active near the downstream area of the Hathni Kund Barrage, catching logs carried by the river. One individual engaged in the activity revealed that during flood days, their team of 10 to 15 members can recover wood worth ₹2 to 3 lakh.

However, they admitted they did not know the exact source of the logs.

The Supreme Court has now sought a detailed report on the matter, sparking debate across Himachal Pradesh.

State Industries Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan has held Indian Forest Service (IFS) officials responsible, alleging that forest officers no longer inspect forests and leave them solely under the supervision of guards. According to him, if entire trees with roots had been washed away, it could be seen as a natural occurrence. But the presence of cut logs and sleepers floating in the rivers clearly points toward illegal logging.

The Forest Department, however, has offered a different explanation. It claims that the wood was carried downstream from the upper catchment areas due to cloudbursts and flash floods between August 24 and 26. In its preliminary investigation, the department found no confirmation of illegal logging. The incident has stirred controversy, leaving a pressing question: are the logs drifting in floodwaters merely the outcome of a natural disaster—or evidence of a deeper issue of timber smuggling under the guise of floods?

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