The Forest Department Tangmarg has registered an FIR against members of the Physics Wallah faculty after videos surfaced online showing them driving vehicles through a prohibited forest zone in Buderkoot, one of the region’s most ecologically fragile areas.
The complaint, lodged under the supervision of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Tangmarg, Feroz Chaket, follows the emergence of videos on the YouTube channel “JKBosewallah,” allegedly uploaded by the faculty themselves.
The visuals capture several vehicles skidding across the soft forest soil, crushing newly sprouted vegetation and damaging delicate forest buds that had begun to regrow after severe windstorms earlier this year.According to the FIR copy accessed by KNS, the incident violates multiple provisions of environmental and forest protection laws.
Officials said such off-roading activities are strictly prohibited, as they cause irreversible damage to natural regeneration processes within the forest ecosystem.“The Buderkoot forest area had shown remarkable signs of recovery over the past few months. New roots and natural vegetation were emerging. Unfortunately, this reckless act has destroyed much of that growth,” said a senior official from the Forest Department.
Authorities have initiated a formal investigation, and further legal action is expected based on the findings. The department also urged visitors and social media creators to respect ecological restrictions and avoid promoting such harmful activities in environmentally sensitive zones.(KNS)
