Kaghan forest fire under control

Officials say special teams with equipment have been formed

BALAKOT:

Forest fires in the Kaghan Forest Division that caused great to damage wildlife and the natural beauty of the valley have been brought under control, and officials are looking to take action against the culprits.

Range Officer Balakot Mohammad Saqib and CDO Mohammad Hanif talking to The Express Tribune said that the Forest Department is taking all possible measures to prevent fires. Special uniforms have been distributed among the personnel of the department safely and quickly control the fire. They said firefighter teams, including departmental personnel and forest caretakers, have also been formed at the divisional level to control the fire on a permanent basis and have also been issued equipment.

The officials said that the elements setting fire to the forest would be dealt with severely and special seminars have also been organized in mosques and schools to create awareness among the people.

Dense forests in different parts of the Kaghan Forest Division had been on fire for days, destroying the beauty of the valley. Trees planted as part of the billion tree tsunami project had died out. Rare birds, wildlife, and valuable herbs, were severely endangered. Wildlife was forced to migrate away from these forests and ended up migrating closer to populated areas harming livestock and human beings. The fire has also raised the temperature in surrounding areas. Locals demanded action immediately.

Meanwhile, Abbottabad Commissioner Tariq Salam Marwat Tuesday imposed a ban on setting up fire in the camps under section 144 of the Penal Code.

The ban was imposed during a meeting regarding taking measures against the occurrence of forest fires following the provincial government orders.

The DC said that the majority of wildfires in district Abbottabad are human-caused by cigarettes, campfires, improper burning of debris, arson and discarded wood ashes. He said we need to protect our forests which are under threat by human-caused fire.

The DC also directed the relevant agencies to take all precautionary measures. The ban was imposed to protect the forests as in most cases forests catch fire through camping or owing to the negligence of tourists.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2022.