Virgin Deodar Forests Burn for Four Days; Smog Chokes Apple Belt as Fire Season Yet to Peak. Nau Nalli Hambal remain in active on Facebook, while fires continue to deface the mountain face every year.
CHOPAL/SHIMLA: A massive forest fire raging across virgin lush green deodar forests of the Kakradhar mountain in Chopal subdivision, extending from the fringes of the Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary, has continued for the past four days, leaving thick smoke hanging over the apple belt and raising serious concerns about the fate of Himachal’s fragile forests.
The blaze, suspected to have been deliberately triggered by anti-forest elements, has engulfed rich natural forests that grew undisturbed for nearly five decades on the ridge overlooking Kupvi tehsil on the south and Chopal on the north.
The fire is sweeping across slopes above Khaddar and Thekra villages, reducing priceless virgin lush deodar and other pine trees to ash or atleast leaving their stumps charred.
But the tragedy is not confined to Kakradhar forests of Chopal alone. The plight of forests across the upper Shimla belt is no different, with frequent fires reported from Rohru, Jubbal, Kotkhai, Rampur and Theog subdivisions, where prolonged dry spells, rising heat and strong winds have turned forest floors into tinder.
What has shocked observers is the silence of nearby settlements.
Villagers from Nau Nalli Hambal and Thekra—areas known for their rich Harul folklore—have largely remained spectators as flames devour forests that form the ecological shield of the region.
They remain shockingly indifferent to their priceless green heritage but active on Facebook in reels and Nattis while green heritage continue to burn merciless in front of their blind eyes, comment an old resident of the area.
These forests are not merely wilderness. They serve as critical wildlife habitat, recharge drinking water sources and act as the green canopy protecting apple orchards spread across Chopal, Jubbal, Kotkhai, Rohru, Theog, Kumarsain and Nankhari.
Highly inflammable dry needles and accumulated forest litter are feeding the blaze, making firefighting dangerous and extremely difficult. Smoke from burning forests has already begun hanging over the apple belt, creating smog-like atmospheric conditions even before the peak forest fire season has arrived.
Field staff of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department say the situation exposes deep structural weaknesses. With limited manpower and equipment on the ground, forest guards struggle to tackle fires in remote terrain while the system remains largely bureaucratic and headquarters-centric.
There is growing criticism that while the department talks of drones and modern surveillance systems to check fires and encroachments, the ground reality remains a shortage of field staff capable of responding quickly to emergencies and protecting forests.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Chopal, Jangvir Dulta, confirmed that fires had erupted simultaneously in several locations, including Badlaog, Ghiyalath, Baghar, Khaddar and Sarain.
“Teams were rushed to all sites. The Sarain fire was controlled about two hours ago. Baghar was doused last night though smoke from burning stumps remains. Fires at Badlaog and Ghiyalath have just been brought under control,” he said.
Yet the larger concern remains unaddressed. Rarely are those responsible for deliberately lighting forest fires brought to book, critics say, and the absence of a robust monitoring system means such incidents keep recurring.
With the peak summer fire season still weeks away, environmentalists warn that the worst may still lie ahead for Himachal’s forests.
For the apple belt that depends on these forests for water, climate balance and ecological protection, the flames now rising across upper Shimla are a grim warning of a deeper environmental crisis unfolding in the Himalayas.
