DEHRADUN: With the daily rise in temperature in Uttarakhand for the last few days, the incidents of forest fires in the state have also increased rapidly. Over 171 cases of forest fires have been reported in the last six days, while 34 fires have been reported in Garhwal, 41 in Kumaon and three in protected wildlife
areas in the last 24 hours.
The forest fire has damaged 98 hectares of forest area. So far, 647 forest fire incidents have been reported in the forest fire period that began on November 1, 2022. A total of 769 hectares of forest area has been damaged.
There has been a sudden spurt in forest fire incidents in the state along with severe heat. As many as 78 incidents of forest fires were reported in the last 24 hours, the highest number of incidents recorded in a single day in this forest area. The number of forest fire incidents in the state has reached 647.
Uttarakhand Forest Department's Chief Conservator of Forest (Fire) Nishant Verma told this newspaper, "Awareness campaigns are being conducted in rural areas to prevent forest fires, Divisional Forest officers has been instructed to maintain vigilance in the area and make villagers aware that in case of fire, inform the department at their level and the department as an immediate measure".
Expressing concern over the increasing incidents of forest fires in the state, Professor Rakesh Kumar Maikhuri, head of the Department of Environment of Garhwal University, said, "These days forests are seen burning everywhere on the way to Pauri, Almora and Nainital etc"., "While the increasing incidents of forest fires are harming nature, drying up of water sources is also causing water crisis". He advocated immediate and drastic steps to stop forest fires.
Professor Maikhuri further said, "Uttarakhand has an abundance of pine forests and their area is constantly increasing. In summer, pine leaves, locally known as 'Pirul', have been the main cause of forest fires. According to an estimate, hundreds of hectares of forest area are burnt every year due to 'Pirul'.