Despite the Mazandaran prosecutor’s order to halt the destruction of the Elimalat forest, the project executor has reportedly resumed illegal construction activities in the area, according to environmental activists. The forest area has been levelled and mixed, and construction of parking lots and rooms is underway without proper authorization.
Environmental Activists Raise Alarm
Har Mansouri, a Miankaleh watchdog, shared this news on his Instagram page (see here). Mansouri reported that in recent months, following environmental activists’ alerts and the prosecutor’s visit to the site, the prosecutor ordered the cessation of operations and the restoration of the forest to its previous state. However, Mansouri’s recent reports indicate that the entire area has been levelled and mixed by the project executor, and illegal construction activities have resumed.
Mansouri suggests that the investor is so influential that they can disregard all national laws and judicial orders, much like the Miankaleh petrochemical project, which continues despite judicial warnings and alerts from relevant departments.
Authorities Respond to Allegations
The release of these images on social media prompted authorities to respond. Shina Ansari, head of the Environmental Protection Organization, was among those who reacted. Musa Moqimi, Director General of Mazandaran Natural Resources, also commented on the issue, stating that necessary follow-ups were made due to the contractor’s violation in Elimalat, in coordination with the prosecutor’s office.
Colonel Ali Maleki Ahangaran, in an interview with ISNA news agency, denied that the published video was related to the Elimalat forests. He emphasized that no trees have been cut recently and no seedlings in the area have been damaged. Instead, soil that had been previously deposited was spread over an area of 100 square meters. The Natural Resources Protection Unit has dealt with this violation, and work has been halted.
The Role of the Elimalat Dam Tourist Complex
The investor of the Elimalat Dam Tourist Complex in Iran is the “Javanmard Brothers Investment Holding”. This holding is one of the investment groups in the country and has previously implemented other projects in Iran, including the Chalidareh Torghabeh Tourist Complex in Mashhad and the Darband Cable Car in Tehran. The Elimalat Dam project is being implemented with an investment of 54 billion Tomans (approx $1.2 million) by this holding and is expected to be operational within five years.
The CEO of Javanmard Brothers Investment Holding is a person named Hamidreza Javanmard. Precise information about the ownership of “Javanmard Brothers Investment Holding” is not available, but some reports and sources have suggested that this holding may be associated with military or governmental institutions. It is possible that the holding is somehow related to the private sector, but affiliation with military or semi-governmental institutions is not out of the question.
The Elimalat Dam Tourist Complex in northern Iran has been at the center of attention due to the destruction of forest lands and its illegal occupation. In some cases, the management of this complex has destroyed parts of the national lands, which has been met with judicial reaction and the issuance of orders to stop these activities. This complex has even intended to construct structures on public lands without legal permission, which has been prevented by the prosecutor’s intervention.
One of these cases was the cutting of trees in the Elimalat forest in late February of last year. At that time, two loaders and bulldozers belonging to the contractor of the Elimalat Dam tourism project, along with some relevant officials, without having legal permits, levelled the route of the high-voltage power transmission line, trimmed thousands of trees, and destroyed the forest in an area of approximately 1.5 hectares. It is said that in that operation, more than three thousand trees and seedlings were completely uprooted during the levelling and soil removal process.The Elimalat Dam, located 8 kilometers from Nour on the Nour to Chamstan road, is known for its lake and surrounding forest. The dam, which is a water project in Mazandaran province, was built to provide agricultural water, regulate water resources, and attract tourists. However, its construction and surrounding tourism projects have led to the destruction of parts of the surrounding forests, particularly the Hyrcanian forests. Despite being built to attract tourists and provide water for the region, the dam’s negative environmental impacts require more and better management and supervision.
The “Forest Mafia”
The term “forest mafia” refers to networks and individuals who illegally exploit forest resources, such as cutting trees for timber or converting forest lands into agricultural and residential lands, without regard for environmental regulations. A notable example of this in Iran is the destruction of the country’s northern forests, particularly the Hyrcanian forests. These forests, which are part of Iran’s natural and environmental heritage, have been illegally exploited by individuals or groups connected to governmental institutions or influential individuals.
The Hyrcanian forests, which are between 40 to 60 million years old and extend from Astara to Golidagh in Golestan province, are registered as a shared natural heritage of Iran and Azerbaijan in UNESCO. Environmental activists and experts are concerned that unsustainable development in northern Iran will halve the area of these forests within the next 50 years. The main reasons for the destruction of the Hyrcanian forests include human and environmental factors, and the lack of adequate legal action against offenders.
The Mazandaran Natural Resources organization is currently responsible for preventing further destruction of the Hyrcanian Elimalat forests by the contractors of the Elimalat Dam tourism complex. The director of this organization has promised not to allow the project to continue without proper authorization. The coming days and months will show how the organization performs and whether its words will be put into action.
