Sajid Raina
Bandipora, Jan 22: A massive forest fire raged on for the last four days in Aloosa forest belt of north Kashmir’s Bandipore district on Monday is yet to be brought under control.
An official said that villagers and forest employees are trying to douse the fire which has spread into nearby forest compartments.
The locals said that the fire reportedly originated in a compartment at Aloosa block, spreading to adjacent compartments. “Villagers and Forest Protection Force officers swiftly responded to extinguish the massive blaze, visible from the Bandipora-Sopore road, approximately 10 km from the town,” they said.
The official stated that efforts are being made to control the forest fire using the latest techniques. “Due to dry weather, the fire has spread from one compartment to another. The villages are located at a considerable distance from the site of the forest fire,” he said.
Notably, several forest fire incidents have occurred across multiple locations, resulting in the burning of hundreds of trees. The cause of fire is being attributed to prolonged dry spell.
Earlier this month, forest fire was reported in Chattibandy, Aragam and Ajas forests, prompting authorities to deploy personnel and machinery to control the flames.
Locals said that the blaze is on at many compartments and has spread to more areas causing a huge damage to green gold.
They criticised the forest department for what they perceive as a lack of tangible efforts to extinguish the flames, especially given the escalating frequency of such incidents.
Last week, a massive forest fire was reported from Chuntimullah forests where two forest officials were injured during fire fighting efforts. The fire was eventually brought under control after two days, resulting in extensive damage to thousands of trees.
Weeks before, major fire incidents wreaked havoc in Qudara forests, Ajas and Aloosa lasting for about three days.
