Murree Residents Urge Government to Address Forest Fire Risks

APP

Islamabad: Residents of Murree have expressed frustration over the lack of proper forest fire-fighting facilities in this popular tourist destination, which has become highly susceptible to forest fires amid the ongoing heatwave.

Tariq Mehmood, a local resident, told APP that the recent forest fires in Murree, particularly in the Ghora Gali Beat and Terat Beat forests, resulted in significant destruction due to the incompetence of the Forest Department. Numerous valuable trees and wildlife were lost.

“It is currently the season for birds to lay their eggs. The devastation is evident in Murree’s Terat Beat, where dead birds, eggs, and hatchlings can be found everywhere,” Mehmood said.

He alleged that the Forest Department uses costly vehicles for personal use, yet lacks essential equipment like bowsers or tankers for emergency fire control.

Mehmood noted that forest fires typically occur in summer and suggested that having multiple water tankers or pumps in each beat, capable of drawing water from springs and gorges, could help extinguish fires. 

He recalled that decades ago, local volunteers were provided with water tubes and sprinklers, but this policy has been neglected.

He emphasized the need to reactivate local volunteers who could alert government agencies in emergencies, especially since forest guards and foresters go home at night, leaving the area vulnerable to fires.

He urged the Punjab government to form a committee to investigate the Forest Department’s incompetence and hold the responsible officers accountable for the significant losses.

It is noteworthy that the recent inferno, which destroyed many precious pine trees and other species, was eventually extinguished through the joint efforts of the Armed Forces, Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122, and other civic agencies.