Forest fires rage in Kashmir, employees battle flames with sticks, spades

Srinagar, Apr 4: As forest fires continue to rage across Kashmir, employees of the Forest, Wildlife, and allied departments are left to douse the flames with rudimentary tools like sticks and spades, due to the lack of modern firefighting equipment. A significant rise in forest fires has been observed recently, attributed to dry weather conditions and unregulated camping, causing extensive damage to the region’s fragile ecosystem.

However, these fires have also exposed the inefficiency of the department’s ‘Forest Fire Control Mechanism,’ as most employees are seen battling the flames with inadequate tools.  “We don’t have any specialised equipment for firefighting,” said a group of low-rank employees. They said that they are not even provided with basic safety gear such as fire-resistant clothing, gloves, and shoes, making their task even more perilous. “Every time there is a forest fire, we rush to the spot without thinking about our safety,” said one casual laborer. “We weren’t even provided gloves. While everyone was celebrating Eid, we were in the jungles, battling flames even through the night, ” he said, adding that they are being paid abysmally low and at times their wages are not released for months together.

Besides the Forest and Wildlife departments, employees from the Social Forestry Department and the Forest Protection Force (FPF) are also actively involved in firefighting operations.

A massive fire that recently engulfed the Lidder, Kokernag, Shangus, and Tral forest divisions was only brought under control after several days of strenuous efforts by these employees, assisted by local volunteers. An official acknowledged the severe shortage of modern firefighting equipment, admitting that even basic firefighting tools are missing. “Yes, we face an acute shortage of equipment. We don’t even have a single fire extinguisher,” he said. The official listed essential firefighting equipment, including fire beaters, fire hooks, fire blankets, gum boots, fire-resistant suits, gloves, breathing apparatus, water hoses, and fire suppression tools, all of which are lacking. Chief Conservator of Forests, Irfan Rasool, said that the department does provide employees with basic tools. “A spade is quite effective in preventing the fire from spreading further,” he said. However, he admitted that casual laborers often go without essential safety gear such as gloves, fire jackets, and protective shoes.