223 control rooms functional, 1,500 personnel deployed for fire season
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Apr 26: A total of 926 forest fire incidents were reported across Jammu and Kashmir during the financial year 2025-26, nearly 300 fewer than the previous financial year, affecting around 2,105.57 hectares of forest land, the Government has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
During 2024-25, as many as 1,243 forest fire incidents were recorded in the Union Territory, damaging 3,503.70 hectares of forest area.
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In its reply filed before the NGT in a case titled Suyash Kumar Mishra versus Union of India and others, the J&K Forest Department said the area affected by fires accounts for less than 1 per cent of the recorded forest area of 20,19,400 hectares in the UT.
The department stated that most forest fires in Jammu and Kashmir are ground fires in nature and over 95 per cent of the incidents are man-made, while some are accidental.
It added that changing weather conditions, rising temperatures and prolonged dry spells over the years have increased the vulnerability of forests to fire outbreaks.
According to the reply, the UT has adopted the National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF) issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
It said J&K is among the few States and Union Territories that have carried out forest fire risk zonation mapping and vulnerability assessment studies.
The department further informed the Green Tribunal that a long-term action plan for 20 years, from 2018-19 to 2037-38, involving an estimated Rs 154 crore, has already been submitted to the Ministry of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC).
For 2025-26, an Annual Plan of Operations worth Rs 350 lakh was submitted, against which approval of Rs 245.51 lakh was granted, it said, adding however, only Rs 27.71 lakh has been released so far.
The Forest Department said Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have also been framed for officials dealing with prevention, monitoring and management of fire incidents, with clear responsibilities assigned for prompt response during emergencies.
Preventive measures such as controlled burning and creation of fire lines are being undertaken in vulnerable forest areas of both Jammu and Kashmir regions, it said.
The Department further said that a total of 1,133 kilometres of fire lines have been created and maintained, while around 22,000 quintals of dry biomass, pine needles, cones and other inflammable material have been removed.
The department said 223 fire control rooms are functioning round the clock across divisions and around 1,500 Forest Protection Force personnel have been deployed for 24×7 duties during the fire season.
It added that an outlay of Rs 485.04 lakh has been proposed for 2026-27 under the “Protection from Fire” component, while over 60 training and awareness programmes involving local communities have been organized this year.
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