Fires on Margalla Hills destroy pine trees

Islamabad

The forest fires which erupted on Margalla Hills on Monday devastated pine trees and other species of trees.

The CDA sources said that the fire played havoc with the natural beauty over hundreds of acres of land at three points including Loran Dee Gali, Klinger and Khoi Da Dina near Margalla Forests Picket-19 and two other places.

An official of CDA said that it was the biggest fire of the ongoing summer season which destroyed a large number of pine trees and plantation of other species, saying that the fire would have adverse effects on the wildlife.

Most of the area engulfed by fire had natural growth and every sapling takes decades to become a tree. “The areas where fires erupted are located at walking distance of five minutes, therefore, the fire should have been detected much earlier but the first fire was reported at around 3:30 p.m.,” sources said.

However, an official present in the control room of the CDA Environment Wing at around 6:30 p.m. told ‘The News’ that at present 130 workers were busy in efforts to control fire. He claimed that they would control the fire shortly.

It has been learnt that the Monday’s situation started about three days ago with start of a small fire but the concerned officials did not take the issue seriously.

The area covered by fire is not approachable for fire-fighting vehicles  but it is at walking distance of a few minutes. “As such we use the traditional bush beating method to control fire,” an official said.

The immediate reason for fire was not known but the forest fire during summer season spreads swiftly and engulfs large area in a short span of time.

CDA Environment Wing Deputy Director General Irfan Niazi, who was supervising the fire control operation, was not available for comments despite repeated attempts.