Hoshiarpur, Aug. 19 -- The Hoshiarpur forest division sealed a 'kattha' (catechu) manufacturing factory in Satiana village on Tanda road after it came across a huge quantity of khair wood, suspected to have been obtained from illegal felling of trees, in the ecologically sensitive Shiwalik region, officials said.

'Kattha' is used in paan and mouth ointments, while its byproduct 'cutch' is used for tanning leather. Hoshiarpur divisional forest officer (DFO) Dharamveer Dairu said the illegal felling of khair trees was detected in Satiana and Bichhoi last week. "When the forest staff examined the CCTV footage and tracked the movement of a suspected vehicle, the trail led them to M/s Amyara Herbs Pvt Ltd, a 'kattha' manufacturing factory sit...