Srinagar- In a first, the Jammu & Kashmir Forest Department is using drones to combat forest fires across the union territory. The department has procured six drones, three allocated to each division (Jammu and Kashmir), to pinpoint the exact location of fires, even in dense forest areas.
This comes amid a spike in forest fires due to an intense heatwave and prolonged dry spell.
The Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority (JKDMA) had already issued a warning of an ‘extreme forest fire’ risk. Amid an intense heatwave and prolonged dry spell, multiple forest fires have been raging for a week across Kashmir and Jammu divisions, with authorities struggling to extinguish the flames.
In Jammu, forest fires were reported from Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri, and Samba districts while in Kashmir forest fires were reported from Ganderbal and other districts of the valley.
An official told Kashmir Observer that the department has procured a number of modern gadgets due to a spike in forest fires across.
In a recent incident in the Nowshera sub-division of Rajouri district, the department used drones to monitor a fire in the Chingus block and other forest areas, which was later extinguished within an hour. A massive fire also broke out on June 3rd in the Ramnagar forest of Jammu division and the Gangera hills in Udhampur district.
“With drones, we can easily pinpoint the exact location of the fire, even in dense forest areas,” an official from the department said.
The official added that it used to be challenging to extinguish fires in hilly terrains. “Now the extinguishing process is easy and we get the locations quickly.”
The modus operandi, according to the official, is to identify the fire through the drone images and then give a ring around the fire.
“This restricts forest fire to a particular area,” said the official.
When asked whether the departement is thinking of procuring drones that can extinguish the fire, he said, “the load carrying drones in the region are prohibited now due to its sensitivity.”
He further added that the traditional way of dosing off the fire is the best method that the department has been using since decades.
“There is only one standard technique to doze off the fire, which is the traditional method. We now use blowers as well to clear the litter around,” he added.
Pertinent to mention here that Jammu and Kashmir is a forest rich region having 20,230 sq km of forest cover, accounting for about 10% of its geographical area. The vulnerability of forest fire increases during the Autumn season if it remains dry for a long period.
Fire Engulfs Forest, Urban Areas Across 6 Districts
Several fire incidents in the past 24 hours have devastated vast tracts of forest land and urban areas across six districts in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday.
No injuries or loss of life occurred during any of the incidents, which were reported in Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Kathua, and Poonch districts, they added.
In Poonch district, a blaze, which spread from across the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday night, triggered multiple mine explosions along the Salotri forward area, the officials said.
Despite the high intensity, the fire was controlled without any loss of life, they added.
Reasi district witnessed three separate forest fires in the Ardhkuwari, Bidda, and Mardi areas, which have now been extinguished, they said.
The pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine was briefly halted due to the fire incident in the Lambi Keri-Ardhkuwari belt.
In Rajouri district, extensive forest areas such as Dungi, Grati, Bungaie, Tatapani, Kalakote, and Dhanore were affected in fire, resulting in significant forest damage, the officials said.
A school shed in the Jallas area also suffered damage. Fire and emergency services responded promptly, mobilising teams to contain and extinguish the blazes, they said.
In Kathua district, forest fires were reported in the Ramkote and Basholi areas. Massive flames also erupted in the Ramnagar forest division of Udhampur district, which has since been controlled without any casualties, they said.
A large fire erupted in the Ragoora forest area near the outskirts of Jammu city, spreading across vast tracts of land. The fire has been doused, they said. No casualties have been reported so far.
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