BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab forest department has decided to fence the entire area of Lal Sohanra national park sprawling over 162,000 acres of land about 35kms from here on Bahawalpur-Hasilpur highway.

The plan envisages millions of rupees funds for which the Punjab government would be approached once the proposal is finalised by the forest department.

Dawn leant that the fencing of the Lal Sohanra boundaries touching a number of rural areas aimed at preserving the Hora and fauna of the national park.

In the national park, the wealth of forest in addition to the precious species of black bucks, Chinkara, blue bulls and others had always been at threat of theft, slaughtering by the illegal hunters with the result that despite best efforts of the departments concerned faced damage and losses during the previous years.Divisional Conservator of Forests Gauhar Mushtaq told this correspondent that the proposed fencing plan was discussed at length by Punjab forest secretary Shahid Zaman and south Punjab forest secretary Sarfraz Magsi during their visit to the national park on Monday.

He said after the discussion, it was decided in principle to chall( out a plan. Afterwards, its estimates would be prepared and the Punjab government would be approached for the allocation of funds.

It merits mentioning that at present the national park, which is a unique in the world with the existence of forest, desert and water at one place, is open from all sides.

There have been several complaints of the theft of woods and illegal cutting of trees despite the deployment of security guards in the vast forest.

The illegal cutters of the trees and the tractor-trollies laden with wood have been caught and prosecuted.

Besides, the theft incidents of thewildlife particularly black bucks from its enclosures were reported during previous years and many times the thieves were also prosecuted, jailed and fined.

The conservator said the secretaries also decided in principle that in future the plantation of Eucalyptus would be stopped and presently all the (Sfaida) trees would be finished from the forests replacing them with other species of trees. This, he added, has been decided as Spaida trees require maximum water.

Meanwhile, Bahawalpur Division Wildlife Deputy Director Rai Zahid Ali said a seminar was recently held wherein speakers/experts expressed their views and suggestions to promote the breeding of black bucks and other wildlife at enclosures. The secretaries also decided thatin the enclosures of the black bucks, other wildlife like Chinkara deer, blue bull and others would also be shifted and preserved there fortheirbreeding.