SHOPIAN: Pictures and videos on social media this Eid provided a glimpse of the new trend of invading forest areas and meadows in Kashmir in the name of “off-roading”. Though it is an amusement that has been going on for some years now, the forest department is yet to take any action, which is what has emboldened such people to disturb and even destroy the precious natural environment of the valley.
According to wildlife experts, off-road driving of a 4X4 vehicle or any other vehicle is prohibited under particular provisions, but despite that, many people drive their vehicles into forest areas and wildlife habitats.
Recently on the eve of Eid, dozens of photos and videos were shared on social media by people who went off-roading in their vehicles into forest areas.
The brazenness with which this is done is evident in the clubs that organise off-road driving competitions and even distribute prizes.
“How can such clubs be allowed to form? The government has to take action against them,” said Suhail Ahmad Mir, a local from Hirpora.
Jawad Nasir, a Kashmiri doctor based in Delhi, wrote on his Facebook wall that recreational off-road vehicles pose a serious threat to jungle ecosystems. “It causes land degradation, soil toxicity, destruction of root systems, and accelerates loss of rare species. It disturbs wildlife and pollutes air,” his Facebook post reads.
He added that bringing heavy machines into virgin lands, especially if it is done as a money making exercise, is condemnable. “This is never a good trend to follow. There needs to be serious public activism against these activities before it is late,” he wrote.
Jan Nisar, a concerned citizen from Shopian, said that off-roading of vehicles is damaging wildlife habitat. “People should know how they are damaging the ecosystem,” he said.
Anayat Rehman, a wildlife lover, called it a “massacre that we watch silently and enjoy it too!”
Intisar Suhail, a senior wildlife official, said that off-road driving in forests and meadows is strictly prohibited. “But on the eve of Eid some people took advantage,” he acknowledged, saying that tyre impressions on meadows leave permanent injuries.
“All high-altitude areas contain a heavy quantity of water in the soil. Tyres not only damage the soil but also destroy herbs. Playing music and honking horns also disturbs animals,” he said.
Suhail said that off-road driving is allowed on non-metallic roads in forest areas, but not on meadows, and it needs permission which is granted as per a limited number of vehicles allowed on a particular day or in a week.
Gulzar Ahmad, another wildlife official, said that off-road driving clubs should behave like responsible citizens and avoid any kind of destruction to nature.