Raging Forest Fires spread over several districts in Uttarakhand

As per the forest department and the media reports, around 1028 forest fires have been reported in Uttarakhand since January 1, 2021. 1,359 hectares of forest land has been damaged since then and this year's fires are alarming.

Currently, at least 45 forest fires are raging in the hill regions of Uttarakhand and the worst affected areas include Pauri, Almora, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Tehri. The Oak forests in Nainital, identified as the least prone to fires with high water content have also been caught in furious fires. The overall damage occurred has gone over 68 acres of forest land in the past 24 hours.

As on till April 4, this year, as per the data provided by the state forest department, out of the 1028 forest fire incidents, the Pauri Garhwal district was the worst hit area with 254 reported incidents. Followed by Pithoragarh and Bageshwar with 94 incidents each. There were 91 incidents in Nainital, 88 in Tehri, 71 in Uttarkashi and many more areas.

The current situation in Uttarakhand has led the the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday, April 4, to deploy the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and choppers to control the fuming forest fires.

Not only the North but many other Indian states have been going through raging forest fires. Madhya Pradesh's Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve has been burning since March 29, 2021. Massive wildfire has reportedly burned one-third of Odisha's Similipal, Asia's second- largest biosphere reserve (2750 sq.kms).

Why are forest fires flaring up so frequently?

The summer months of April and May, when the heat is at its peak, is usually the time for forest fires to break out.

The dry soil caused by scarce monsoons is a major reason for these disastrous occurrences.

This year, Uttarakhand faced below average rainfall. “The rainfall was below normal by around 30% in January, by around 50% in February and by around 70% in March. Besides, on many days the maximum daily temperature was above normal in the state, creating dry conditions - a cause for forest fires,” said Rohit Thapliyal, scientist at Indian Meteorological Centre Dehradun to Hindustan Times in this media report.

Other reasons for forest fires include lightning, friction of falling rocks and animals accidentally throwing stones that create sparks.

Invasive human activities become the main cause of forest fires

It's no hidden truth that the deforestation and development projects led by the humans have cause harmed the nature in innumerous ways. The climate change is also a leading cause in forest fires.

In Uttarakhand, the lack of soil moisture is also considered a key factor in the rising of fires.

How prone are India's forests to the fires?

As suggested by the media reports, out of the 21.67% of the nation's geographical area identified as forests, the North East and central forests are the most vulnerable to forest fires.

Forest fires greatly impact our environment and have adverse effects on:

Forest cover, tree growth, soil, flora and fauna and vegetation.

What measures can be taken to reduce forest fires?

Since 2004, the Forest Fire Alert System has been put in action by the FSI to track forest fires in real-time. This system uses satellite information from NASA and ISRO since January 2019.

As reported by the media and according to forest experts, removing any one factor from the fire triangle of air, temperature and fuel load is needed to reduce forest fires. The temperature and air cannot be really controlled, the best strategy becomes the management of fuel load. When pine needles from the forest bed is taken out, cases of forest fires can be reduced.

How do you think the forest fires can be reduced? Tell us in the comments below. Or write about it here on Tripoto and earn Tripoto Credits!

Ready to travel for free? Earn credits and redeem them on Tripoto’s weekend getaways, hotel stays and vacation packages!