Burning Uttarakhand: The Ravaging Forest Fires of “Devbhoomi”

ख़बर शेयर करें

The recent incident of forests fire reaching a residential colony near Uttarakhand High Court, in Nainital is alarming. Boating is halted in the Naini lake and the army is deployed to control the fire. Forest fire, defined as “any uncontrolled fire over a forest area” has become a major threat to the flora and fauna of the Himalayan state. In just four months of 2024, around 146 cases of human-induced forest fires have been reported in Uttarakhand. Between 2001-2023, Uttarakhand lost 1.18 thousand hectares of tree cover due to fires. Coniferous forests are most prone to forest fires, in the state, which are found at 900-1800 meters. These forests are dry in nature and pine is the most commonly found tree in such forests. The peak fire season commences at the end of April and lasts about eight weeks. The most common type of fire that mostly impacts the forests is “surface fire” which is the combustion of above-ground fire fuels (grass, herbs, leaves, downed wood). The trilateral combination of the speed of the wind, high summer temperature, and highly flammable material in the forest floor determines the intensity of fire. Most forest fires are human-induced to clear the ground for their cattle, recklessly throwing away lit bidi/cigarettes, burning the litter, etc. Apart from this one of the major causes is the migration of people from the hills due to which the agricultural land is turning barren. Desertification of villages also leads to detachment of people from the forests. Migration also reduced the consumption of pine needles (Pirul) and pine cones (Theetha) which were earlier used as a bed for cattle and other household chores. It does not decay because of the raisin it contains which serves as a fuel for forest fires. Climate change has accelerated the forest fires for the worse. As carbon content increases in the atmosphere, it leads to major heat-trapping causing drying of leaves. The snowless winters, rising heat in summers, depleted soil moisture, and erratic rainfall has also contributed in increase in cases of forest fires. According to official data, the incidents of forest fires in the state have increased from 177 in 2013 to 1566 in 2022. In 2022, two human deaths were reported and around 3425-hectare total area was affected. The most impacted district was Almora in 2022. Kumaun is the worst-hit region with a total 482 incidents of forest fires in 2023. To tackle the uncontrollable forest fires, water from lakes is carried from choppers and then airdropped to douse the fire. But it is not of much use, as the fire already spreads to other parts of the forests leading to severe damage to the flora and fauna of the state. Preventing or halting forest fires at the initial stage is better than preventing their spread in other areas of woodland. The monoculture of pine should be reduced and plantation of native species like Oak, Rhododendron, Sal, and Deodar should be increased. The state government has initiated “Pirul Yojana” to produce bioethanol from Pine needles. It not only utilizes and reduce the quantity of needles in the forests but also provide employment to local people. The promotion of handicrafts made from pine needles and pine cones should be done in an effective way to boost demand for these products. The staff of forest department should be provided with better equipment’s to mitigate the fire along with safety gears. Along with human assistance, technology is also required to combat this hazard.
The Van Agni Geoportal of FSI helps in identifying active forest fires in the country. The Large Forest Fire Monitoring Programme uses the SNPP-VIIRS data to identify, track and report serious forest fire incidents. The primary goal is to facilitate senior-level monitoring within State Forest Departments and to promptly seek any necessary additional assistance to contain such fires. Training fire watchers for prompt communication and action to mitigate the fire is necessary. Awareness campaigns should be conducted to educate local people regarding do’s and don’ts to prevent forest fires as they are often the first ones to inform the forest department regarding it. Additionally, this information should be included in the school curriculum. According to India state of Forest Report 2021, Uttarakhand has around 24,305 sq kms of total forest cover i.e. around 45.44 % of its total geographical area. The state also has a rich heritage of flora and fauna and is home to one Biosphere Reserve, seven wildlife sanctuaries and six national parks including the first national park of the county. Forest fires can lead to irreparable damage to the rich biodiversity of Uttarakhand, therefore strong measures are needed to save the state from where the most popular environmental conservation “Chipko movement” began.