Various measures have been taken to mitigate forest fires but the dry conditions and low moisture in soil due to scanty rainfall during the winter this year and past few months has exacerbated the threat. This year, since the start of the fire season in February, two persons and seven cattle have died with 236 incidents of forest fires affecting 485 hectares land till April this year.
Forest fires lit intentionally or caused by natural factors are an annual feature affecting a considerable area, forest wealth, fauna and human life in Uttarakhand. Such is the potential threat that the State Government formerly under Harish Rawat as Chief Minister was pursuing its case at the Centre seeking sanction for controlled green felling of pine trees to mitigate scope for forest fire.
According to information with the forest department, during the period from 2010 to 2015, a total of 3,439 forest fire incidents were reported from across the State. During this period, an area of about 6682.45 hectares was affected by forest fires resulting in damage evaluated at Rs7,99,8712.
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change recognises constructions of watch towers for detection of forest fires, deployment of fire watchers, creation and maintenance of fire lines, involvement of local communities, beating of fire with bushes and use of water to douse the fire, use of remote sensing technology and satellite data for detection of forest fires as the major components of forest fire prevention and control.
Based on the ministry’s directions and the State’s past experience, the department has taken various steps to manage and control forest fires. These include rotational burning of about 2,60,799 hectare and controlled burning of 93,934 hectare forest area. During the winter season a total of 8,477 kilometres of fire lines-which function as fire-breaks- have been cleared of vegetation to prevent spreading of fire from one block to another block.
Forty master control rooms have been established across Uttarakhand for forest fire management apart from 94 watch towers erected to scan for distant signs of fire incidence.
However, negligent rainfall in winter and past few months have created tinder dry conditions with recent spell of light rain providing little relief. From the start of forest fire season from February 15 this year till April 16, two people and seven domesticated animals have died with 236 forest fire incidents affecting 485.28 hectare area causing evaluated loss of about Rs4,492,090 .It remains to be seen whether the weather in the coming days will provide some relief.