Haririፑr weep
According to a report submitted to the Peshawar High Court, a 36-hectare fire in Hazar State has caused damage in the past few months.
According to the report, the recent wildfires have damaged 17,095 hectares of land, including trees, on 488 hectares of land planted under the state’s billionaire tsunami project, including in the Hazar region.
According to the report, more than 454 forest fires have occurred in Kiber-Paktukwa this year. However, KP’s Department of Forests, Environment and Wildlife confirmed that only 283 fires were reported.
According to the court report, the fire damaged 36 hectares of Hazar region and 140 hectares of the 10 billion tree tsunami project.
The wildfires in Hazar also affected 160 hectares of birds, wildlife and local livestock.
Most recent fires in the Hazara region have been reported in the Canberra, Machiavelli and Gazi forests.
According to Fiz Mugal, a resident of Macnell, the wildfires have devastated large areas of the Hazar region, but forest damage has been minimal.
Of the 210 wildfires that occurred between May 23 and June 2, 2009, 55 were intentionally triggered by local fires, and 12 were caused by dry weather, according to the State Forest, Environment and Wildlife Department. . The fire was unknown.
The land and wood mining team is also working in the Hazar region and burning forests. According to sources, about 454 fires were reported in KPP by the end of June, of which 48 were in Abbott, 50 in Mansere, 58 in Haripur, 11 in Shangla, nine in Sabi, six in Batagaram, 40 in Kohistan, two in Chitral Down and one in Torgar. A recent wildfire has been reported near the Tarbela Dam in Haripur. As a result, the forests of Kakar Choha and Dara Mohat were destroyed.
Imran, head of the fire department, said the fire had severely damaged both small plants and large trees.
Officials at the Tarbela Dam said a fire broke out in the village of Kocarchoha near the Tarbela Dam due to strong winds in the neighboring Mohat Hills. According to the Wapida Fire Department at the Tarbela Dam, eight fire engines, Tahsil Topi, a Chinese company and TMA Gaszi, were able to control the blaze within 20 hours.
Experts say Pakistan is experiencing less rain than usual this year. Due to the extreme heat and drought, the soil temperature rises to a certain level and the dry ground grass burns faster.
Forest officials also said that awareness campaigns have been launched to prevent forest fires for tourists.
Some people say that they use firewood to dry the grass, collect wood and fodder, and give it to their animals. He said the wind would spread sparks and then get out of control.
According to Fayas Mugel, a resident of Meknial, the main reason for the blaze was that after the crop was harvested, the people cleared the land and the grass caught fire in the surrounding forests.
Extremely hot and dry weather is another reason for the forest fires, he said. The forest department has failed to take action to protect the forests from fires.
So far, more than 50 people have been charged in connection with the fires. So far, 32 suspects have been identified and seven have been released on bail.
Published in the Express Tribune, July 4Th2022.
