Forest fire rages on at shrine board from last one month, no accountability

GY CORRESPONDENT
katra, FEB 18
A devastating forest fire has ravaged the entire forest area under the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, sparking outrage and demands for accountability.
The blaze, which has been raging on for over 20 days, has reduced the forest closures on all four sides – north, east, west, and south – to ashes.
The fire has destroyed the Shrine Board’s plantation, on which over more than Rs 30 crore was spent e from the last 20 yearsSources allege that the forest officers on deputation, who were entrusted with protecting the forest, were negligent in their duties due to personal interests and managing other profitable section.
The Shrine Board’s firest department’s inaction has raised questions about their competence and commitment.
Despite a series of fire incidents over the past month, no responsible officer from the Shrine Board took cognizance of the situation or reviewed the wildfire prevention measures.
The casual laborers deployed to guard the plantation were ill-equipped to tackle the fire, lacking basic firefighting gadgets.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with de mands for the suspension of forest department personnel responsible for the negligence.
The Chairman, Managing Director of the Shrine Board must take immediate action to hold the guilty officials accountable and ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.