Wildlife Dept assesses Kathlour sanctuary fire losses

Ravi Dhaliwal

Pathankot, June 24

The Punjab Wildlife Department has completed the exercise to ascertain the loss suffered due to a major fire that engulfed the Kathlour wildlife sanctuary on Tuesday.

“Right now we are compiling the data. We will be in a position to tell you the exact details once the data is compiled,” said Paramjit Singh, Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife), Pathankot.

The massive fire that broke out on Tuesday due to the ongoing heatwave was brought under control only after the district administration requisitioned fire tenders from the Army.

There are apprehensions that scores of trees might have got burnt although officials maintain the exact count will be available after a few days. Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal said, “The Wildlife Department will come out with details of the total loss once they assess the damages,” he said.

Kathlour is 25 km from Pathankot. It is spread in an area of 1,867 acres and has a dense forest cover. It plays host to varied flora and fauna. Conservative estimates done by wildlife officials say the fire affected nearly 800 to 1,000 acres of forest land. The sanctuary is home to several species of deer, including Cheetal, Sambar, Hog deer and Barking deer.

To control human activity and protect the natural space, the wildlife is divided into three zones — eco-sensitive, buffer and the core zone. Tourists are not allowed to go beyond the eco-sensitive zone. The main refuge of wildlife is the core zone.

Interestingly, the Wildlife Department does not allow any officer or official to proceed on leave between April 15 and June 30 every year. “This is due to the fact that during summer season the possibility of fires get increased,” said an official.

Officials said due to the heatwave, forest fire had been on the rise in northern India. In Himachal Pradesh alone, the Forest Department has recorded nearly 1,500 fires.