Manifold Increase in Forest Fires in Uttarakhand since 2023, Say Experts

Uttarakhand experienced a significant increase in fire incidents during March-April 2023, according to a Climate Trends think-tank analysis of NASA's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite. Districts like Nainital saw a seven-fold increase in fire incidents, while Champawat saw a rise of 1,025 incidents. The fires, which include forest fires, stubble, and garbage burning, were primarily in dense forest areas.

Dehradun: Fire incidents, including forest blazes, in Uttarakhand recorded a multifold surge during March-April compared to the same period in 2023, with some districts such as Nainital registering an over seven-fold increase.

An analysis of fire point images captured by NASA's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite conducted by the Climate Trends think-tank shows that fire incidents in all districts of Uttarakhand, except Haridwar, increased many times in March-April this year, Palak Balyan, the study's lead researcher, told PTI on Monday.

Citing an example, she said the number of fire incidents in Nainital in March-April 2023 was 207. This jumped to 1,524 -- a seven-fold increase -- during the same period this year.

Similarly, the number of fire incidents in Champawat rose to 1,025 in March-April compared to 120 during the year-ago period, she said. The ambit of fire incidents includes forest fires, stubble and garbage burning. In the context of Uttarakhand, it is more about forest fires as the satellite images show most of the blazes occurred in dense forest areas of the hills, she said.

Nainital, Champawat, Almora, Garhwal and Pithoragarh have been the worst affected areas. In Almora, fire incidents during the period rose from 299 in 2023 to 909 in 2024, 213 to 615 in Pithoragarh and 378 to 742 in Pauri Garhwal, Balyan said.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Environment) Kapil Kumar Joshi said, "Adverse climatic conditions such as humidity levels, prolonged dry spells, high temperatures, wind direction and timing of rainfall contribute to forest fires. The changing climate conditions over the years has aggravated the adverse conditions."

"However, it is also a fact that forest fires are a normal phenomenon for the region. Technological advancements have helped in promptly and accurately spotting these forest fires. Hence, more incident counts are reported and we are also better placed to control such fires," Joshi said.

Balyan said surveillance should be stepped up to reduce the occurrence of forest fires. There should be more deployment of forest department personnel in remote hill areas.

The forest fire situation in Nainital worsened on April 26 with the flames reaching dangerously close to a residential colony. However, the situation was brought under control with an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter roped in to collect water from the lakes in a 5,000-litre Bambi bucket on Saturday and pour it over the flaming forests.

Firefighting operations in the forests of both Kumaon and Garhwal regions continue with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), army, PRD, homeguards and locals, apart from Forest department personnel, working together to douse the flames.

The state reported eight fresh forest fire incidents on Sunday, leading to the arrest of eight people -- five from the Garhwal Forest Division and three from the Bageshwar Forest Division -- for allegedly deliberately igniting fires in forests.

Apart from the natural causes, burning of forests by villagers is a widely prevalent practice in Uttarakhand as it leads to growth of fresh grass for cattle.

Since November 1, Uttarakhand has reported 606 forest fire incidents in which 735.81 hectares of forest cover was destroyed. Claiming that more than 50,000 hectares had been gutted since Uttarakhand became a state in 2000, social activist Anoop Nautiyal said preventive steps should be taken well in advance as forest fires are an annual phenomenon.

"It's extremely painful to see our forests getting burnt year after year. I fail to understand why it is so difficult to start working six months in advance from September (fire season starts February)," he said.

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