Over 7,000 Hectares of Forest Area Destroyed in Wildfires in IIOJK

As wildfires continue to devastate IIOJK’s forests, local residents are blaming both Indian authorities and the armed forces for contributing to the destruction, with over 7,000 hectares affected in just three years.

In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), over 7,265 hectares of forest have been destroyed due to 3,103 wildfire incidents in the past three years, with many locals blaming Indian authorities and the armed forces for a significant number of these incidents. This alarming revelation was confirmed by the Minister for Forest, Ecology & Environment, Javed Ahmed Rana, during a session in the IIOJK Legislative Assembly.

According to the Minister, the year 2022-23 witnessed 1,253 wildfire incidents, which led to the destruction of 2,774.213 hectares of forest area. The situation worsened in 2023-24, when wildfires ravaged an additional 987.24 hectares across 607 incidents. The current year has seen a sharp rise, with 1,243 wildfire incidents up to March 19, causing the damage of 3,503.70 hectares of forest.

The local community has expressed deep concern over the destruction, accusing Indian forces and authorities of being involved in or failing to prevent many of these wildfires. The increasing frequency and severity of these incidents have raised questions about the accountability of both military and civilian agencies in the region.

In addition to the concerns over forest fires, the Minister also addressed questions related to forest clearance for so-called developmental projects. He stated that before the introduction of the PARIVESH Portal in August 2019, a total of 1,690 cases had received forest clearance. Since the launch of the portal, a total of 2,743 proposals for forest clearance have been uploaded, as of March 20, 2025. These proposals came from various user agencies and were processed under the provisions of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.

The Forest Minister went on to clarify that out of these proposals, stage-II approval had been granted for 522 cases, covering 636.337 hectares of forest land. Additionally, 1,151 cases were given stage-I approval, affecting 1,453.118 hectares, while 1,070 proposals remain under review at various stages of approval.

The situation surrounding both the wildfires and developmental projects highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the region’s environment, with forest areas being decimated at alarming rates. The ongoing destruction of forest land, coupled with the lack of accountability for those responsible, continues to raise concerns about the long-term environmental impact on IIOJK.