Fires devour Sirmaur woods, reach villages

Pankaj Sharma

Nahan, June 3

A large number of forests of Sirmaur district are engulfed in continuous, devastating fires, with new reports of blazes emerging daily from different parts of the region.

Both government and privately owned forests are being reduced to ashes, leaving widespread destruction in their wake. Despite the annual recurrence of such incidents, there is no visible, concrete strategy from the government to prevent these fires. Consequently, vast expanses of forest have burnt to ground over the past few days.

Yesterday, fires wreaked havoc in several villages, including Ronhat, Pachhad and Naina Tikkar. Flames destroyed animal fodder and crops grown by villagers, causing significant agricultural losses. The fires also led to the death of hundreds of animals and destruction of numerous plant species.

Tragically, the flames reached Primary School Lajhogdi and High School Lajhogdi in the Sadhna Ghat area, engulfing the store rooms and destroying all extra school materials stored there. The Head Teacher of High School Lajhogdi reported that flower pots and plants on the school premises were burnt, along with a 1,000-liter water tank.

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Similarly, at Center Head Teacher Primary School Lajhogdi, the store room caught fire, destroying additional school materials. The Fire Brigade could not be contacted, so villagers had to step in to control the blaze and save the school building. A damage report has been sent to higher authorities.

• Like most cases in the state, the flora and fauna of Sirmaur has been badly hit by the forest fires
• Yesterday, fires wreaked havoc in several villages — including Ronhat, Pachhad and Naina Tikkar
• Flames destroyed animal fodder and crops grown by villagers, causing significant agricultural losses.
• The fires also led to the death of hundreds of animals and destruction of numerous plant species

In Shankholi village, Ronhat, the forests burnt throughout the night and into the day, creating a dangerous situation on the Shilai-Ronhat road. Fierce flames and rising smoke posed a threat to vehicles and passersby, as rocks and stones tumbled onto the road from the burning forest.

The fires have decimated forests of Sirmaur district, killing wildlife and destroying trees and plants. In many cases, the Forest Department was not informed, and local villagers had to manage the fires themselves when these threatened residential areas.

Meanwhile, sources said it was imperative for the government and disaster management authorities to develop and implement a robust policy to prevent forest fires and protect these vital ecosystems.