Carelessness Turns Catastrophic in Kashmir's Forests

In dry weather conditions like these, even a burning cigarette bit left over negligently can result in the wildfire which could be very difficult to contain later on.

- Dr Muhammad Sameer Shafi Siddiqui

From the past few days, forest fires have erupted in many parts of the Valley, most particularly in the multifarious compartments of Lidder Forest Division in South Kashmir.

These fires have created a huge concern among the people living adjacent to these forests and also among the environmentalists and nature lovers alike. Although dry weather conditions and scanty snowfall during winters provide an essential back-drop for comprehending the phenomenon, yet the most intriguing question in the minds of all those concerned with preservation and conservation of our forests pertains to the simultaneity of these fires at multiple yet isolated locations with large distances to traverse in between; a phenomenon that has seldom been witnessed in the past.

Anyways, a huge mass of pine needles and cones gets accumulated in our forests throughout the year, thus forming a thick layer on the ground. Due to precipitation, the substratum of this layer alongside the soil beneath remains moist and eventually the moist foliage gets decomposed under the weight of newly formed layers of pine needles. But when dry, this thick layer of pine needles on ground sprinkled with highly inflammable raisin dripping down the coniferous trees has high vulnerability of catching fire, and even a meagre negligence or mischief on someone's part can wreak a havoc within the vast stretches of the forest cover. So the most important thing to remember while visiting the forests is to keep combustibles away from vulnerable patches of the woods.