Fires in Kaghan forests threaten biodiversity

Blazes also lay waste to govt’s efforts of planting more trees

BALAKOT:

Frequent fires in Kaghan forests are not only affecting the growth of saplings but also biodiversity and the natural habitat of wildlife.

The forest department has failed to contain the frequent blazes and protect the ‘green gold’ that makes up the bulk of the woods.

The fires also lay waste to the government's efforts of planting more and more trees under the 10 billion tree tsunami project. These fires pose major threats to forest and biodiversity conservation.

Frequent fires forced the wildlife in these forests to migrate. The movement of wild animals was not only putting the lives of locals in danger but also the livestock,

While the forest department refuses to allow locals to collect timber and firewood from these forests, it has failed to take any measures to prevent the raging fires.

Several attempts were made to contact the local range officer for his version on the matter, the calls remained unattended despite repeated efforts.

Every year a number of wildfire cases take place due to which people suffer losses. Wild animals start moving to urban areas and pose risks to human lives.

In 2017, four houses were gutted while some farm animals also died, resulting in losses of millions of rupees to the owners in different parts of Hazara.

Faqir Muhammad, a resident of Hassa Balakot Village, told the police that the fire started from the kitchen of his house on Monday evening and engulfed the adjoining rooms and a goat shed.

He said that the house and shed were total losses despite the villagers’ efforts to douse the flames. He added that eight goats were killed and all his belongings were completely destroyed. He claimed his losses totaled Rs1 million.

According to the police, the fire sparked from a sandali (traditional indoor coal heater) that the residents inadvertently left burning.

The second fire was reported the same evening from Khun Village in Aziz Bang Union Council in Abbottabad, where a fire broke out in the neighboring forest before spreading to three houses in the vicinity of the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27^th, 2022.