The Adamawa Government has banned the use of saw machines as part of measures to check the depletion its forest reserves.

The Permanent Secretary in state Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Abubakar, disclosed this on Tuesday in Yola.

In the early 1980s, Adamawa was among the states with dense forest cover but it has now lost nearly half of it to desert encroachment.

Mr. Abubakar said that the ban became imperative to stop indiscriminate destruction of the state’s forest reserves as well as check the dangers it posed to the environment.

“Following a report of wanton destruction of our forest, the state government has banned the use of power saw for either firewood or timber exploitation.

“This has become necessary more than ever before, in view of the need to stop the wanton destruction of our forest reserves and to save the state from the impending danger of desertification and other negative effects of climate change,” he said.

He said to ensure effectiveness of the ban, all local government councils, traditional institutions and security agencies in the state have been instructed to ensure strict adherence to the ban.

The permanent secretary urged firewood and timber dealers as well as the general public to abide by the law, adding that defaulters would face the wrath of the law.

He noted that desert encroachment poses a threat to agricultural production and fishing.