No major damage to trees, two FIRs registered: DFO

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 18

Only two hectare area was destroyed in the fire at Akpa-Jangi region of Pooh division in Kinnaur and as many as 20 trees of junipers (a shrub) were damaged, while there was no major damage to chilgoza trees as fire confined to fallen dry pine needles only. This was disclosed by Angel Chauhan, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Kinnaur.

“The first forest fire occurred on November 5 and was extinguished the same day and there was no loss, while the fire that broke out a few days later was not a forest fire, but a ground fire. The spot inspection reveals that some people had camped overnight in the forest and lighted fire,” Chauhan said.

People extinguished the fire, but it continued to smoulder and the ashes came alive again and spread to other areas and two FIRs were registered against “unidentified” people on November 11 and 23, he said.

Chauhan, who visited the fire site four times, refuted the charge of Nature Watch India, an NGO, that had alleged that forests were burnt due to negligence of forest staff. He said: “All necessary precautions were taken and a 4-km long pipeline from Kashang Nullah to the fire site was laid with the help of 30 Home Guard jawans and a company of ITBP comprising 120 persons along with forest guards.”

Nature Watch India had alleged that thousands of chilgoza, juniper and birch trees were gutted and the scrub forest was totally wiped out along with rare medicinal herbs and plant species which was not true, he said. Contrary to the claims made by the NGO that the fire was doused due to rains and snow that lashed the region on December 13, he said the fire was extinguished on December 3 by the forest people.

Senior officials in the Forest Department said efforts were made to control the fire which recurred again due to highly inflammable nature of dry leaves and pine needles.