J&K reported 1,024 forest fires last fiscal, 127 this month so far: Govt

Srinagar, Apr 9: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday disclosed that 1,024 forest fires were reported across the region last fiscal, while 127 incidents have already occurred in the current fiscal year.

The figures were revealed in response to a calling attention notice by Member of the Legislative Assembly MY Tarigami, to the Minister for Ecology and Environment, amid mounting concerns over the growing frequency of forest fires and their environmental impact.

According to the government, 1,276 forest fire incidents were recorded in 2024–2025, leading to the loss of approximately 3,551 hectares of forest cover.

“So far this fiscal year in the first week only , 127 fires have damaged around 174 hectares of forest land”. "Between February and March alone, 91 forest fire incidents were reported, affecting over 136 hectares of forest area," the government said.

Citing the Forest Survey of India’s 2023 report, the government said that of the total forest area in J&K, 270.11 sq. km (1.25%) is classified as very highly fire-prone, 890.62 sq. km (4.12%) as highly fire-prone, 1,244.13 sq. km (5.76%) as moderately fire-prone, and 19,203.80 sq. km (88.87%) as less fire-prone. While acknowledging that forest fires can play a role in ecosystem regeneration by clearing dead material and encouraging new growth, the government expressed concern over the rising frequency and intensity of these fires particularly linked to prolonged dry spells. “Winter fires are relatively rare but extended periods of dryness can trigger surface fires, especially in the temperate forests of J&K.” the government said.

The Forest Department, it said, is actively monitoring and managing such incidents to prevent their spread. “However, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, including prolonged droughts, continues to pose serious challenges for forest management across the region.”