Suhail Rather
Bandipora, Jan 17: For the past week, the forests in north Kashmir's Bandipora have been ablaze at multiple locations, attributed to the dry weather by the forest department.
“Widespread forest fires pose a significant threat, not only consuming valuable greenery but also generating copious amounts of smoke, leading to respiratory issues among the local population,” the locals from several areas told the Kashmir Convener.
Numerous forest fire incidents have occurred across multiple locations, resulting in the burning of hundreds of trees. The latest outbreak ignited in Chattibandy Aragam forests, prompting authorities to deploy personnel and machinery to control the flames.
“Damage assessment will follow once the fire is completely extinguished,” an official said. Locals said that the fire is still going on at Many compartments and are spreading to more areas causing a huge damage to green gold.
They criticise the forest department for what they perceive as a lack of tangible efforts to extinguish the flames, especially given the escalating frequency of such incidents.
Just days ago a massive forest fire was reported from Chuntimullah forests where two forest officials were injured during firefighting efforts. The fire was eventually brought under control after two days, resulting in extensive damage to thousands of trees.
Weeks before, major fire incidents wreaked havoc in Qudara forests, Aragam, Ajas and Aloosa lasting for about three days.
"Dry weather is identified as a contributing factor to the surge in fire incidents. While ensuring no significant loss in forest areas, the official announced the deployment of multiple teams to monitor and safeguard these areas.
