Kashmir Battles Surge in Forest Fires Amid Prolonged Dry Spell

Srinagar, Feb 17: Amid an ongoing dry spell, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a sharp rise in forest fires, with five major incidents reported across different districts in the last 24 hours, causing significant damage to the region’s green cover.

A massive fire broke out on Saturday evening in the Pinglish Shikargah wildlife and forest area of Tral, Pulwama, quickly spreading to nearby areas, including Kamla, Karmulla, Lurgam, and Panzoo. A joint operation involving the Forest Department, Wildlife Department, NDRF, CRPF, and locals helped contain the blaze. Officials confirmed that 95% of the fire in the Pinglish zone has been controlled, with only smoke from decayed stumps remaining.

On Sunday evening, another fire erupted in Brar Salia village of Anantnag district, affecting around 6 kanal of forest land. Simultaneously, fires were reported in Dadoo, Marhama village of Bijbehara, damaging a significant portion of forest cover.

Earlier in the day, a major fire broke out in Compartment 20/K of Aloosa in Khuihama village, Bandipora, while another fire was reported in Compartment 110/K in Arin, Ajas, in the same district. Emergency response teams acted swiftly to prevent further spread.

Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Kashmir, Irfan Rasool Wani, attributed the increasing forest fires to the prolonged dry conditions but assured that none had reached extreme severity. Experts blame climate change and human negligence as primary causes, with illegal coal and wood collection significantly increasing the risk.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Forest Survey of India (FSI) had already warned of heightened forest fire risks in late January. In response, the Forest Department, Wildlife Department, Fire and Emergency Services, and Disaster Management Authority remain on high alert.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Shama Roohi urged people to avoid lighting fires or entering forests unnecessarily, warning that the dry conditions make the forests highly susceptible to fires.

With Jammu and Kashmir’s forest cover spanning 21,387 sq km, including valuable species like Deodar, Kail, and Fir, experts caution that rising temperatures and extended dry spells could lead to more frequent and intense forest fires in the future.

Despite several forest fires reported in December in the Chenab Valley, snowfall in late December helped contain the risk. However, the lack of significant precipitation since then keeps the fire threat alarmingly high.

Authorities urge residents to report any fire incidents immediately to Fire and Emergency Services to prevent further destruction of Kashmir’s “green gold.”