Forest fires across Rajouri dist
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Poonch, May 23
Major fires are raging in forests across Rajouri district even as the office of Forest Protection Force (FPF), entrusted with fighting such fires, came under the grip of fire on Thursday night.

Local sources told The Tribune that major fires continue to destroy forest cover in about 8 km area near Bathuni in Rajouri district and the FPF office located in the same area reportedly came within the range of forest fire. They added elsewhere in Kalakote, Nowshera and Sunderbani forests fire destroyed hundreds of trees.

A forest fire rages in the Bathuni area of Rajouri district. Photo by writer

In Sunderbani forest, fires occurred in Kalidhar, Bindi and Larya forests, whereas in Kalakote tehsil fire played havoc with forests in Nathiani, Kanglar, Moghla and Treru areas. In the Nowshera area, forest fires raged in Manpur, Bhawani, Ser Makri and Ghai areas.

A retired forest officer, Abdul Aziz Dyderh, told The Tribune that

local farmers set debris of the trees on fire to expose green grass for feeding their cattle.

“To make grass available to cattle, farmers mostly set the ground area of forests on fire without realising that the fire will eventually become uncontrollable,” Dyderh said.

Deputy Director, FPF, Rajouri, Ashok Kumar Rehan said they had succeeded in dousing forest fire in the Bathuni area, besides fire in rest of the areas in Rajouri district had been brought under control.