Forest fires are proving a real threat
As the temperature continues to soar across Jammu and Kashmir the risk of forest cover getting destroyed owing to uncontrolled forest fire is increasing with every passing day. The situation gets more complex as the region is already witnessing no or very little rainfall during the past two weeks.
The threat to forest cover in Jammu and Kashmir is quite imminent and the authorities here have already designated over 270.11 square kilometres as a ‘High Risk’ zone for forest fires. This alert was issued after Jammu and Kashmir over the past two weeks recorded 172 forest fire alerts — the highest in the country during this period.
Jammu and Kashmir’s forest cover has witnessed huge depletion over the past three decades. The wanton loot under the garb of armed insurgency and the vested interests shown by various people has led to destruction of the green gold and has put an extra pressure on the left over and valued forest cover.
Interestingly, the majority of the fire alert incidents have been reported from the Rajouri, Reasi and Kishtwar districts. Notably, 270.11 sq kms of forest area have been categorized in ‘High Risk’ zone of forest fire while 890.62 sq kms as ‘Highly Fire Prone’, 1244.13 sq kms as Moderately Fire Prone and majority of 19203.80 sqkms as’ Less Fire Prone’ forests.
The forest department has been utilising its men and machinery to help minimise the damages that have been caused by the forest fires, but lot more needs to be done to control the menace.
The authorities here need to take the issue very seriously and besides keeping its personnel on an alert mode they need to involve the local populace as well so that the information channels are made more robust and efficient, besides timely.
The forest department should also stress on registering more and more volunteers from the local community residing near forests. These volunteers can be promised healthcare facilities and other provisions so that they are lured to this social cause.
The officials also need to prepare a detailed Forest Fire Vulnerability Mapping, using historical fire data from the Forest Survey of India, as was done in 2021 for each forest division.
The cause of forest fires range from manmade to natural but several reasons have also surfaced which have proven to cause these fires. These include fire caused by burning of crop residues, carelessly discarded smoking materials and fires lit along roadsides and use of fire for promoting growth of grass.
Besides, lightning strikes and rolling stones during dry spells occasionally ignite fires in forested areas. In addition, the environmental and climatic factors like extended dry spells, build-up of dry leaf litter and rising temperatures coupled with erratic rainfall patterns exacerbate the fire risks.
Therefore, a multi-pronged strategy needs to be adopted to reduce the fire incidence and improve readiness in the region. These measures should be scientific in nature so that these fire incidents are curtailed well in time.
We are in such a situation right now where we cannot afford to lose any further forest cover to unwanted fires and other damages.
