Why is over 140 hectares of Uttarakhand’s forest under fire?
Over forty-two significant forest fires were recorded in Uttarakhand on Sunday, April 28 before at least 23 forest fire occurrences on Saturday, 31 on Friday, and 54 on Thursday
A fire that originated in Uttarakhand’s forested areas, spread further out to Nanda, Nainital, and several other regions, with damage in over 140 hectares of forestland in the state, alongside which the Indian Air Force was engaged in firefighting operations in forest fires in Nainital, on Sunday, April 28th, 2024, the second day the fires continued raging.
Over forty-two significant forest fires were recorded in Uttarakhand on Sunday, April 28. This came before at least 23 forest fire occurrences on Saturday, 31 on Friday, and 54 on Thursday, all of which destroyed hectares of forest land.
More than thirty acres of forest were damaged by forest fires that originated in major cities like Nainital and spread to neighboring districts like Almora and Pithoragarh. On Sunday, more than forty members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were sent to put out the fires in Nainital.
The forest divisions in Nainital, Haldwani, and Ramnagar were the most severely impacted, according to PTI, which cited forest officials. In several areas, the fires were put out with the use of a Bambi bucket, which was used to quickly and heavily wet the flames.
Even if the precise origin of these fires is currently unknown, according to authorities, the forest fires spreading across Uttarakhand are suspected to be mainly ‘man-made’.
Human activity is another factor that causes approximately 90% of fires. To make way for cultivation or to encourage the development of new grass for grazing animals, the villagers frequently started fires. Furthermore, by carelessly burning cigarettes or bonfires, campers and visitors may easily spark fires.
Garhwal district forest officer Anirudh Swapnil told news agency PTI on Sunday, “The fire has been happening because of mischievous elements. We are making people aware and appealing to them not to ignite anything. I have asked people to inform the department whenever they find anyone igniting fire in forests. Action will be taken against people igniting fire in forest areas under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.”
Nonetheless, Uttarakhand has released similar reports earlier this year. It has become a sustaining issue in the state for the dry and hot months of February and June.
The FSI website adds: “Severe fires occur in many forest types particularly dry deciduous forest, while evergreen, semi-evergreen and montane temperate forests are comparatively less prone (India State of Forest Report 2015)… Nearly 4% of the country’s forest cover is extremely prone to fire, whereas 6% of forest cover is found to be very highly fire-prone (ISFR 2019).”
An FSI analysis in ISFR 2021 also found that states in northeastern India showed the highest tendency for forest fires. Parts of western Maharashtra, southern Chhattisgarh, central Odisha, and regions in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka also showed patches of extremely and very highly fire-prone zones.
One of the main causes of fires in wooded environments is moisture deficiency in the surrounding air. These fires are fueled by dry leaves, pine needles, and other combustible elements that are present on the forest floor.
Forest fires may sometimes caused by natural causes. Certain isolated areas of the state are susceptible to lightning strikes starting fires. Furthermore, the frequency and intensity of forest fires have risen due to shifting climatic trends that have resulted in hotter and drier weather.
Environmentalists stated that local communities have a critical role as first responders in spotting and putting out forest fires.
The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand has instructed authorities to remain vigilant and take preventative actions by working with every department in tandem. According to PTI, there have been 575 recorded forest fire events in the state since November 1 of last year. These occurrences have affected 689.89 hectares of forest area and have cost the state more than ₹ 14 million.
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