Srinagar, Jun 28: More than 55, 000 kanals of forest area has been destroyed in 859 wildfire incidents in Kashmir during the last five years.
Wildfires are uncontrolled blazes fueled by weather, wind, and dry underbrush. In the recent years, vast tracts of land in the valley have been ravaged by forest fires.
Forest Department data accessed by The Kashmir Monitor revealed that 859 wildfires engulfed 55,357 kanals of forest area between 2014 and 2018 in the valley.
Figures reveal that highest number of incidents were reported during 2016-2017, when 371 fire-incidents damaged 30,202 kanals of forest land. This was followed by 192 wildfires engulfing 13,699 kanals of land during 2017-2018.
More than121 forest fires destroyed 4,171 kanals of land during 2015-2016. Similarly, 3,984 kanals of land were damaged in 111 wildfires during 2014-2015.
The lowest number of forest fires were reported during the last fiscal when 64 incidents consumed 3,301 kanals of land.
The most affected areas include the forests of Lidder and Kamraj with the number of wildfires ranging from 227 to 121, respectively. (The Kashmir Monitor)
