Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 3: The increasing forest fire incidents in Nowshera (Rajouri), Jasrota and Billawar in Kathua area, have given sleepless nights to many villagers in last several days.
Reports said the massive forest fire in Kalsian, Bhawani, Tain Dhar, Dabbar and Kalal area of Nowshera has given sleepless nights to many villagers. Last evening, the fire reached closer to Kalal village and the Sarpanch alongwith other villagers resorted to control it. The villagers kept fighting the fire for long and they even sounded alert and sought help from Forest officials> The Forest staff too found halpless with inadequate resources and staff with them to contain it. The scared Kalal villagers spent sleepless night.
The increased temperature of the area made the life of the people horrible. The people said that for the last one week, the fire has engulfed a larger area. It has caused extensive damage to the animal life and green gold and many scared people could not sleep for last several days.
A Forest official said that during these summer days, the people for getting good grass crop (fodder) for the cattle set on fire the grass fields near forests. From there, the fire spreads. Some times, a cigarette/bidi etc thrown by villagers also cause such incidents. Rising temperature also results into natural fire incidents. He claimed that Forest department has not sufficient manpower and resources to control fire.
Reports from Kathua said that forest fire has created scare in upper reaches of Galak, Ramkote, Thein and Jasrota forests for the last few days. The villagers at their own tried to contain fire at several places. They have sought assistance from the Forest Department to control the fire. In Jasrota area near Wild Life Sanctuary, fire in certain pockets has been contained, DFO Kathua Sameer Bharti said.
In Reasi Forest division, the fire has created havoc in compartment No. 30, 31 47 and 48. It created scare in Battal Kalla area of Jyoti Puram and Siar Baba forest belt. The forest officials expressed their helplessness to contain the fire deep inside forests with shortage of manpower.
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