Trees covering almost 95 per cent of the around 28,000 acres of forests in Hyderabad have been illegally felled during the last seven years, says a report. The report, prepared by Hyderabad Forests Conservator Habibullah Nizamani, puts the losses, besides the degradation of the environment owing to deforestation, at over Rs87 million. Sources said that it was just the tip of the iceberg as the report was based on the position of forest cover in just one district of the province. The situation was also expected to be similar in other districts of the province, they said. The report submitted to the Sindh chief forest conservator, Rahim Bux Awan, eventually reached the forests secretary who has ordered an inquiry to fix responsibility. The report says that as against the area of over 28,826 acres containing growth in the year 2000 at present only 1,075 acres, with tree cover, is available. Thus, the vegetative cover of over 27,751 acres in Hyderabad Afforestation Division has perished in about seven to eight years. According to the report, details of the growth sold officially and the booked damage (trees felled illegally and were caught by the foresters) during the year 2000 and 2008 had not been provided by the official concerned