Islamabad: Margalla Hills — an easy prey to fire

[Naveed Yaseen]

Nature lovers remain worried about the long life of nature’s beauty, with hopes that it remains ‘a source of solace and joy for them.’

But unfortunately, this rule does not apply to the whole of mankind, with the majority often bent upon marring the beauty of nature - as happening with the Margalla Hills National Park.

Margalla Hills - a source of federal capital’s charm - is the same ‘thing of beauty’, which is ‘a joy forever’, but is prone to deterioration and depletion and is gradually losing its attractiveness - thanks to the rising population in the Park villages and fire breakouts during summers.

Like previous years, this time again, the Margallas experienced fire just a day after the World Environment Day - a Day that reminds us of our obligations to conserve ecosystems, forests and wildlife, and protect the environment for a better present and future. The fire continued for days, severely harming the habitat and biodiversity of the Park that is already exposed to the rising number of visitors after the construction of a major restaurant in the heart of the Park at Pir Sohawa.

Visitors, who used to drive on a zigzag road through the shrubs, trees and abodes of jolly monkeys and other wild animals just a decade ago, are faced with a different situation today.

“It is getting dirtier and smellier all around. People are least bothered about the cleanliness and environmental protection of the Margallas,” said a frequent visitor, Mr Gillani. “We need to educate the people and instruct the hotel owners to ensure that buyers do not throw wrappers, rubbish and used shopping bags in the shrubs and trees of Margallas,” he said. Even the visitors sometimes throw away burning matches and cigarette butts in the forest, completely aloof of the risk of fire eruption.

Fire breakout is nothing new for the Margallas, as it harms some tract of the National Park every year. Though the Capital Development Authority staffers try to put it off, but more often, they come across issues like poor equipments and difficult outreach.

“We take all possible measures to extinguish the fire,” said Director General Environment CDA Directorate Sheikh Suleman. He identified the period between April 15 and July 15 as the peak fire season and gave multiple reasons for fire eruption, holding the local people, careless visitors and CDA’s own employees responsible for it. “Sometimes, the fire also travels from Haripur side and hits our area, as the NWFP locals remain least concerned with putting off the fire,” he added.

Sheikh said the emergency staff is deployed on duty, who efficiently respond to the fire even at places difficult to reach. “We have identified a fire line and set up an observatory at Shakarparian with 18 pickets in the Margallas where 400 employees stand guard around the clock,” he said. “We also use helicopters during the day and when it’s not windy.”

Director General Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Asif Shuja Khan describes internal combustion as another reason for fire. “Internal combustion also results in fire breakouts and is difficult to control. What we can do is modernise our fire extinguishing system and respond quickly,” Asif Shuja said. “And if it is combustion, then more equipped and efficient CDA staffers be deployed there in larger numbers to guard around 30,000 acres of vast Margalla Hills area,” he said.

Although, the CDA officials claim to respond quickly to any fire incidents, yet more efforts are needed to counter such situations. The Authority is also into an agreement with the sixth Aviation Squadron for assistance in extinguishing fires in areas difficult to approach through roads.

Environmental outfits like WWF also worry about such incidents and extend assistance to CDA. They have proposed to educate the local people and sensitise them on the protection of forests and wildlife in the Park.

Now, whatever the view points or measures taken, the fire breakouts in Margalla Hills still remain a challenge, damaging the forest and its habitat every year. State-of-the-art extinguishing measures are urgently needed to achieve the desired results besides effectively engaging communities to protect the Margalla Hills habitat and promote a sense of ownership among them.

It is alarming that since the peak season started this year, 22 fire eruption incidents have been recorded against a total of 17 incidents last year.

CDA stresses a saner role by the communities and to respond positively to conservation endeavours. “It will be difficult for us to control the situation until the people respond responsibly,” Suleman Sheikh said. “Margalla Hills house 200,000 people at 31 settlements, majority of whom depend on this forest to meet their energy needs.” He also proposed awareness raising, promoting a sense of ownership and initiating empowerment projects for the local people, as “we cannot ignore their energy needs.”

Whatever the case, the conservation of Margalla Hills is our collective responsibility. Let us ensure that this ‘thing of beauty remains a joy forever’ and all of us enjoy its beauty and solace.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=182479