BARAMULLA: A massive fire has engulfed the woods of Mawar forest range in Handwara areas of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district from past three days in which dozens of green trees have been destroyed.
While the officials in the forest department blamed locals for the fire in the forests to clear the area for the grazing land for cattle, locals living around the area blamed forest employees and smugglers as they can smuggle more timber from the area.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) Langate Abdul Hamid Malla confirmed that fire broke out in compartment number 13, however he refused that there are any green trees lost.
“Yes fire broke out in the area two three days ago, but there is no loss of green trees, a lot of fire wood is burning in the compartment, our teams headed by concern range officer are there to control the fire” Malla told Kashmir Reader on Friday afternoon.

Mushtaq Ahamd