Ashiq Hussain
SRINAGAR Aug 26: In the worst ever forest disaster in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, over 52,000 conifer trees were lost in a windstorm which hit the Kashmir valley in March, a survey by the state forest department has revealed.
To compensate the loss, the state government will be starting a massive afforestation drive this month across the Valley.
“We had never imagined that the damage will be so huge. Over 52,000 trees would have fetched more than 75,00,000 cubic feet of wood and timber,” said Manzoor Ahmad Khan, chief conservator of forests, Kashmir.
Engineers and architectures estimate that the softwood extracted from the trees would be enough to furnish one lakh two bedroom-hall-kitchen (2BHK) flats with doors, windows, wardrobes and almirahs.
“In our records known till date, this is the first ever natural disaster of its kind which has destroyed so many trees,” said Khan.
The government was prompted to start the survey after the windstorm swept across the Valley at a speed of 80 km per hour, killing five persons and damaging over 12,000 structures on March 20-22. The storm uprooted, broke and ripped thousands of pine, deodar, kail and fir trees in the districts of Bandipora, Budgam, Shopian and Kulgam.
The forests account for 20% geographical area of the state with conifers spread out over 8,128 sq km in the Kashmir valley alone. Khan said the survey was challenging.
“It was a herculean task. Now we have started the extraction of the damaged trees and the timber would be sold to public,” he said. The government has tasked the state forest department and the state forest corporation for the extraction.
“It will take minimum two working seasons, i.e. two years to finish the extraction. Simultaneously, we have decided to start the autumn afforestation drive,” Khan stated.
“The plantation would be double the number of trees destroyed,” he added. Conifers are evergreen trees and shrubs which are found almost everywhere.”
(The author is correspondent, The Hindustan Times)
