Probe into forest fire urged in Kot Addu

MUZAFFARGARH:

Local people have demanded an inquiry into a fire that damaged almost 2500 acres of Lashariwala forest near Taunsa Barrage in Kot Addu.

Lashariwala forest is included in big jungles of the region and is known to be best natural habitat of birds and animals in South Punjab. It is spread over about 5,000 acres.

However, trees in about half of the forest were reduced to ashes due to the fire that erupted mysteriously. A local resident, Wazir Ali, demanded that the government ensure a transparent inquiry into the incident.

Another resident said the incident might be linked to theft of wood. The thieves might have set the forest on fire in order to hide the theft of wood, he said. The fire caused a loss of millions of the rupees to the government. It destroyed the natural habitat of birds and animals.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2021.