A large quantity of forest wood floating in the Pandoh Dam reservoir of Mandi district has triggered a social media storm, with several users speculating that illegal tree felling in remote forest regions of Kullu district might be the root cause.
The wood was noticed by commuters and passers-by near the dam and quickly went viral online, raising public concern and prompting calls for investigation.
The debris reportedly began appearing after recent cloudbursts in the Jeevanala and Gadsa valleys of Kullu district, which caused flashfloods and significant disturbance in the surrounding forested areas.
Viral posts claimed that the magnitude of wood accumulation pointed towards extensive tree cutting in the upper reaches, allegedly washed down by the torrential waters.
One social media post that gained traction read: “Wood choked Pandoh Dam near Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. The amount of wood indicates that some serious tree cutting has been taking place in higher reaches which has got washed down in the cloud burst. Investigation required.”
Responding to the growing speculation, Sandeep Sharma, Conservator of Forests, Kullu Circle, clarified that preliminary findings did not support the theory of illegal felling.
Talking to The Tribune, he stated that the cloudbursts affected approximately 20,000 hectares of catchment area in the Kullu district, leading to the natural displacement of forest residue.
“Special teams were dispatched to assess the situation on the ground,” Sharma said. “So far, the evidence suggests that the wood found in the dam is primarily forest fuel waste — small twigs, branches and leaf matter — washed down by flash floods. No signs of illicit solid wood logging have been found at this stage.”
He said investigations were still ongoing to rule out any possibility of illegal activity. The department was also examining the affected sites and consulting local forest officials stationed in higher altitude regions for further clarity.
Despite the reassurance, the incident has sparked a renewed call for stricter monitoring of forest areas and greater transparency in post-disaster forest assessments.
On their part, officials have urged the public not to jump to conclusions based on viral content and to allow the investigating agencies to complete their evaluation.
The Pandoh Dam, a crucial hydroelectric facility, continues to function normally, though officials are taking measures to clear the debris from the water surface.
