Into The Flames: Kashmir's Forest Guardians Risk Everything

By Peerzada Mohsin Shafi

The fire in Verinag began as a thin wisp of smoke curling above the pine trees, almost unnoticed.

By afternoon, it had grown into a wall of flames licking the steep slopes, devouring everything in its path.

A forest worker, one of the men who patrols these hills, ran toward it, armed with little more than a stick and his courage.

He wore ordinary shoes and thin clothing, unshielded from the embers, the falling branches, and the scorching heat.

Within hours, the blaze claimed his life.

Around the world, firefighters enter infernos with suits that resist fire, helmets that shield their heads, gloves that guard against burns, boots that tread safely across heat-struck terrain.

Drones map active fire zones, thermal cameras detect hidden hotspots, and communication devices ensure teams move in coordinated, careful rhythm.

The United States, Canada, Australia, Spain and Greece all treat protective gear as essential. No firefighter steps into a blaze without it. Their lives, and the forests they fight to protect, depend on it.

But the story is different in Kashmir, and much of India.

Forest fires rage across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, the Northeast, and Jammu and Kashmir every year. The men and women dispatched to combat them often do so with torn shoes, thin cotton shirts, and bare hands.

Branches serve as tools, and smoke is met with nothing but personal resolve. Funds are allocated, advisories issued, but equipment rarely reaches the frontline.

Contractual workers risk everything, but they cannot demand protection.

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