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| Control Forest Fires | | | After the armed conflicts and nuclear proliferation if the entire world is unanimous in its deep concern on something that is environment. Unfortunately this is an area which is hardly getting any attention from the government and also from the civil society. A report appearing in this newspaper on forest fires comes as a shock and should server to the authorities as an eye opener. In a period of around 36 months, over 66 square kilometer of forest areas has been lost to accidents fires. Forest fires have been a common phenomenon in Jammu and Kashmir. This preventable disaster but the government is either lacking or capacity or will or the combination of both to tackle this problem. The fires have only recently attracted the attention of the governing authorities in the winter capital of Jammu. Neither authorities seem prepared for battling the fires nor do they seem to have a contingency plan for the necessary response. In addition, it seems from reports that the state agency dealing with forestry and timber-smuggling on the have not yet even visited those areas where timber smuggling/arson have been reported locals. This is both an indication of the authorities inability to properly monitor and check illegal deforestation in the state let alone deal with an environmental emergency such as the current forest fires. The way things are being handled, it seems that people are just waiting for the rains to come. And since concerned environmentalists are powerless to combat the blazes, all we can do now is also pray for the rains to come. Forest fires are a regular factor contributing to deforestation in Jammu & Kashmir. Along with deforestation come serious soil conservation problems such as erosion which causes this top soil and silt to flow into the rivers and lakes. Deforestation and the resulting loss of habitat is also driving a number of endangered species to extinction. From a global perspective, biomass burning anywhere is a major source of greenhouse gases and aerosols (tiny liquid or solid particles suspended in the atmosphere). These "emission products" significantly impact atmospheric chemistry, clouds, and the Earth's radiant energy budget (heat and sunlight) in ways that influence climate on regional and global scales. The unusually large fires in Jammu region are sure to contribute to these negative global trends. In assessing the causes, extent, and eventual environmental impact of the fires in Jammu & Kashmir it is patently clear that human behavior and impact is chiefly responsible for the extent to which these fires have been initiated and spread. In many ways, the fires were either totally preventable or at least more manageable.
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