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In an alarming development, the number of forest fires is rapidly rising in India. The country has witnessed a three-fold rise in wildfires during April 20-27 this year in comparison to the previous year. The United Nations Environmental Programme has warned that climate change and land use changes are fanning wildfires even in previously immune regions. Forest fires destroy vast areas reducing the habitat of various plant and animal species. Burnt landscapes sometimes take years to recover and as a result soil erosion occurs, leading to sedimentation in rivers and disruption of aquatic ecosystems. Forest fires also pose serious health hazards due to the release of toxic gases into the atmosphere and endanger the lives and property of people living in close proximity to the forests.
The state of Uttarakhand is one of the most seriously affected by rising number of wildfires. The state has lost over 1400 hectares of green cover due to such fires since November last year. The prevalence of the forest fires hints to the fact that the Uttarakhand administration did not adequately prepare to combat them. When the recent forest fire broke out in the Kumayan region of the state, the administration had to seek help from the Army, Air Force and also from the national disaster management team.
Forest fires are phenomenons which occur in high atmospheric temperatures and dryness (low humidity). This year the possibility of forest fires in India have considerably increased with relatively drier than normal past winter season and unusually hot summer. Thus, it was expected that the state administration would be ready to combat any eventuality caused by wildfires. But, the administration ignored warning signs and were caught off guard when the fires broke out. The forest fires in Uttarakhand could have been handled more effectively if the state administration had taken necessary preventative measures.
Threat of potential forest fires was evident for months and thus the state government should have alerted all its agencies to combat the menace. Setting up increased number of watch towers, deployment of fire watchers, and maintenance of fire lines should have been prioritised. At the same time, it could have taken the help of local communities who are best able to judge the situation due to their proximity to the sites. The authorities could have also engaged satellite imagery and drones to detect fires early. However, the Uttarakhand government remained static until the wildfire came close to the state capital Nainital and other inhabited areas. Thus, taking a lesson from the situation in Uttarakhand, other states in danger of forest fires should waste no time in making necessary arrangements to prevent such menace from creating havoc. Simultaneously, efforts should be made to educate the public about their valuable role in preventing forest fires and protecting natural resources. Deliberate fires for farming related activities, carelessness, covering up of illegal logging and other human activities are major causes of wildfires and must be addressed with urgency.