Let’s Guard J&K’s Green Treasure

Imagine Jammu and Kashmir without forests; visualise images of desert in mind! It is a stark reality that we are fast losing deodar, kail and fir trees due to prolonged dry weather, higher temperatures and mainly due to increasing human activities.

Felling of trees for construction of roads and laying of transmission lines have taken a heavy toll on forests and is seen as one of major contributors of erratic weather patterns in J&K. As this was not enough, forest fires triggered by prolonged dry spell are posing serious threat to the green treasure.

It is alarming that 310 cases of forest fires have been reported in the last 10 months—affecting more than 880 hectares across J&K. The Sindh Forest Division reported the highest number of incidents, with 67 fire incidents damaging 111.06 hectares, Kamraj followed with 52 incidents affecting 67.90 hectares, Anantnag recorded 37 fires damaging 60.25 hectares while Bandipora reported 29 incidents, impacting 60.35 hectares, Lidder reported 25 incidents, damaging 110.95 hectares respectively. Kulgam Forest division was worst-hit with 22 fire incidents affecting 307.85 hectares, the highest in Kashmir. Tangmarg and Kehmil divisions reported 18 incidents each, damaging 36.05 hectares and 43.55 hectares, respectively.

The Jammu Vigilance Forest (JVF) Division recorded 16 incidents affecting 41.21 hectares, while Awantipora reported nine incidents damaging 30.70 hectares. Shopian, Langate and Pir Panjal divisions recorded five incidents each, with losses ranging from 1.70 to 4.02 hectares. Due to raging forest fire, a series of landmine blasts occurred along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu’s Poonch district.

Zabarwan mountain range in Srinagar is witnessing frequent forest fires from last over a month. Amid dry spell, grass and vegetation in forests is devoid of moisture, making these highly combustible with constant sunlight exposure. What makes the situation worse is lack of expertise and equipment to detect and control forest fires.

J&K has a forest cover of 21,387 square kilometres and a tree cover of 2,867 square kilometres respectively. 11% of J&K forest area falls under very high to moderate fire-prone categories. As per The Global Forest Watch (GFW), a platform providing data and tools for monitoring forests, states that in 2010, J&K had 660 Kilo Hectare (kha) of natural forest, extending over 8.3% of its land area. In 2023, it lost 51 kha of natural forest, equivalent to 57.7 kt of CO₂ emissions. From 2001 to 2023, J&K lost 4.19 kha of tree cover, equivalent to a 0.39% decrease in tree cover since 2000, and 1.98 Mt of CO₂e emissions. From 2013 to 2023, 76% of tree cover loss in the union territory occurred within natural forest. The total loss within natural forest was equivalent to 173 kilotons of CO₂ emissions.

As per GFW, J&K’s five districts Rajouri, Kathua, Udhampur, Doda and Reasi were responsible for 53% of all tree cover loss between 2001 and 2023. Rajouri had the most tree cover loss at 526 ha compared to an average of 199 ha. From 2001 to 2023, J&K lost 4.19 kha of relative tree cover, equivalent to a 0.39% decrease since 2000 and 0.18% of all tree cover loss in India.

Beyond the forest fires, encroachments and haphazard development are causing extensive damages to forests. 3.86 lakh kanals of forest land in J&K has been encroached upon. Besides, more than 82,000 kanals of forest cover has disappeared since 2001. The extensive damage caused by timber smugglers is evident from countless tree stumps dotting forests across J&K.

It is shocking that more than 82,000 trees have been felled in forests for multiple infrastructure projects without prior fulfillment of mandatory compensatory afforestation requirements. This has been admitted by the government as a compliance report filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The disclosures were made in an application filed by environmental activist Advocate Rasikh Rasool Bhat, who raised serious concerns over adherence to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, mandating compensatory and mitigation measures before diversion of forest land. The compliance report states that total compensatory afforestation liability at Rs 80.73 crore, of which Rs 45.33 crore remains unpaid.

Roads were carved in many forest areas after felling countless trees. The 35-km Handwara–Bangus Road project in Kupwara district passes through ecologically sensitive forest area.

More than 1 lakh trees of Apple, Chinar, Walnut, Mulberry have been flattened to pave way for construction of Srinagar Ring Road. Around 6000 trees were felled wantonly in 2015 for setting up 1,115 pylons and 1,200 towers inside forests to lay a 414-km line via Mughal road, between Shopian and Poonch.

During construction of the 220-kV Alastang-Leh transmission line spreading 320 kms, 150 hectares of forest land including areas of Sindh Forest Division in Sonamarg were handed over to Power Grid Corporation of India. More than 14,600 lush green and towering conifers in the Daruder forest belt were razed to the ground to pave way for laying transmission lines. And the list of destruction of forests is long!

Forests are an important part of our eco-system and any disturbances or damage to this natural creation is bound to have serious implications on us. We pass on the blame of erratic weather patterns to climate change but forget what destruction we are causing to our fragile ecosystem. We too are contributors rather accused in J&K’s environmental destruction. How can we compensate for the loss of even a tree with money?

It is our collective responsibility to save our forests, our green treasure, our lifeline for our survival and future generations.

Author is Executive Editor,

Greater Kashmir