Viral Trekker Video from Tangmarg Shows Protected Forests Stripped Bare, Sparks Outrage as Officials Arrest Two

New Delhi, Dec 24: A video recorded by a trekker in the Tangmarg forests of Baramulla has ignited outrage across Jammu and Kashmir, showing what appears to be indiscriminate tree felling in a protected area.

The clip, which quickly went viral on social media, captures slopes littered with freshly cut trunks and logs, leaving once verdant stretches stripped bare. The sight has unsettled environmentalists, residents and visitors alike, raising urgent questions about forest protection and the enforcement of regulations on the ground.

The trekker, who was heading towards the Dhanwas Drung area, stumbled upon what locals say is Forest Compartment 65 in Block Badarkot. The scale of destruction visible in the footage suggests more than just isolated acts of timber theft.

“This looks like organized harvesting, not random cutting,” said a local shopkeeper in Tangmarg. “It is impossible for such large-scale felling to happen without someone turning a blind eye,”.

Tourists visiting Gulmarg, who often pass through Tangmarg, expressed shock at the images.

“We came here for the snow and the forests, but seeing those visuals was heartbreaking,” said Ananya Sharma, a visitor from Delhi.

The incident has placed the forest department under scrutiny, with officials acknowledging the matter and promising inquiry.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident and that the timber has been seized from their residential houses.

Environmentalists warn that the Valley, already reeling under erratic weather linked to global warming, cannot afford such ecological shocks.

“Deforestation in Kashmir’s buffer zones is a direct invitation to climate catastrophe. These forests are our frontline defense against global warming, against soil erosion, against the collapse of biodiversity. If the authorities fail to act decisively, the damage will be irreversible. We cannot afford to treat our green cover as expendable; it is the lifeblood of the Valley,” said an activist from Srinagar.

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