Disaster in Chitgar: 30,000 Trees to Be Cut Down

The pest has been attacking Chitgar's trees since the mid-2010s, and the District 22 mayor says there is no choice but to cut down the diseased trees.

Dehydration and bark beetles dried up more than 40% of Chitgar forest park. The mayor of 22nd district, Mohammad Javad Khosravi, told Fars that more than 30,000 pine trees in Tehran have dried up and all of them will be cut and removed from the park within a month.

Since 10 years ago, the water was shut off to the trees of Chitgar and the water rights were given to the trees in half and half from the natural resources, and currently only 50 liters of water is received from the water rights of 500 liters per second, according to the city managers. The mayor of District 22, stating that some of the trees have been cut off from the natural resources by the order of the prosecutor, said today that the wells in the area had dried up, he revived them, and with gray sewage and government water rights, we are currently supplying 170 liters of water to the trees. But when the pest of the bark-eating beetle kills a tree, there is no other choice but to cut the tree.

Almost out of every 8 trees in Chitgar Forest Park, one tree needs to be cut down. Tehran Municipality has also announced that by the end of May of next year, it will replace more than 35 thousand trees.

Environmental expert Ali Qabadian says that these trees can still be kept alive and there is no need to cut them down. The municipality should only give them water regularly, but it does not do this properly and seeks to clear up the problem. Another environmental expert, Rauf Yavari, says that it is clear that these trees died 10 years ago. When you touch the tree, it is hollow from the inside. If these trees are not cut down, the pest will spread to other trees and we will have to cut down all the trees. Therefore, it is beneficial to prevent damage from anywhere.

Experts say that Chitgar Forest Park is in possession of natural resources and this organization should remove the infected trees from the park as soon as possible. Also, the judicial system should intervene in this matter so that by taking timely action, the rest of the trees will be spared from this pest.