Dehradun: In an alarming instance, up to 300 incidents of forest fires were recorded on Thursday, in Uttarakhand within a span of 24 hours. The state forest department, dealing with the fires, seems to be in need of help from the Centre to address the burning problem. Meanwhile, State Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal has said that more employees will be sent to fire-prone areas. The Forest Department is also said to be considering a study to pinpoint the reasons behind the recurring phenomenon in the hill state.
While the problem is singular and increases its impact by the minute, multiple, often-conflicting suggestions for remedies have emerged from various sections of the state government. Crew stations have been set up, and preparations are on to deploy forest guards as well. The suggestion to drop water from Air Force helicopters is understood to have been demanded from forest department officials, while the minister himself asked to avoid it, interestingly stating that the fire will further increase from the helicopter.
"You might have seen the intensity of the California fires in the US. The speed of helicopter blades further propels the spread of the wildfires," Uniyal had said at an event on April 25.
The figures, meanwhile, display that incidents of forest fire have risen every third or fourth year. In the last 12 years, more than 25,000 hectares of forest have been engulfed by about 12,500 incidents of a forest fire. The lowest number came in 2020, with only 133 incidents being reported in the state. This year, from February 15 till now, 1,443 fire incidents have been reported, in which 2432 hectares of forest have been damaged. Economically, the loss is estimated to be around Rs 62 lakh.
According to the forest department, the primary reason for the fire is man-made. The traditional practice of burning off leaves and dry grass in order to make space for new plants and foliage to take its place. Another reason highlighted in this regard has been the pine leaves, which throw up highly inflammable resin that very quickly takes a formidable form.
