Deliberately started ‘forest fires’?
Deliberatelystarted ‘forest fires’?
09June 2005
publishedby The International News
Residents of Islamabad see forest fires on Margalla Hills every summer. A general view of these fires is the hot climate and dry leaves. Sometimes fires even break out in temperate weather, due to a carelessly thrown burning cigarette or matchstick.
In the case of Margalla fires, they seem to be a method for concealing wood stolen from these forests. Islamabad has been blessed with thick vegetation and I have never seen or heard of even a single case of forest fire in the green belts of F-8, F-7 or E-7 Shakarparian in the last three decades. Why would someone climb up Margalla Hills, go deep into the forest, light a cigarette and throw it into the foliage?
Margalla Hills are not very high and the sun rays fall with equal intensity on the hills as well as the city. They are hardly hot enough to be able to burn live trees, wet wood or even dry leaves. Unfortunately, there is no effective way of fighting the mighty fire burning the beauty of Islamabad since the forests are too thick for one to get in to douse the flames.
The CDA must take this matter seriously into account and take strict measures to prevent such incidences. I would also like to request the long lost Margalla Hills Society to play its part in this respect as it did against stone crushers at the hills.
Dr Adeel Gardezi
Islamabad
