In some parts the fires may be caused by villagers but most of the fires are the work of the real estate lobby who use this burnt forest land to develop colonies. This has been their modus operandi and they are in collusion with the local bureaucracy.
आधा साल से जंगल की आग में धधक रहा उत्तराखंड, चुनाव में व्यस्त भाजपा सरकार बेपरवाह
The forest fire in Uttarakhand is scary. It is clear from satellite images that there are fires at 150 places in Garhwal and more than 500 places in Kumaon forests. Reports show that so far six people have lost their lives in the fire, including a 65-year-old woman. Pilgrims at Siddha Dunagiri temple in Almora were running to save their lives as flames were rising in the verandah of the temple.
In the year 2000, when Uttarakhand became a state by separating from Uttar Pradesh, 65 percent of its area was forest area, out of which 42 percent was covered in dense forests. The last 23 years have proved disastrous for the state as 44,518 hectares of land were burnt to ashes and 11,649 hectares of forest land was encroached upon due to frequent forest fires.
This year’s fires have been particularly devastating because they have been raging since December. The state has already suffered damage to several hundred hectares of land due to these fires, with the maximum damage occurring in Nainital, Haldwani and Ramnagar districts. It is difficult to calculate the extent of damage this caused to the ecology of the hill state.
Sociologist Madhavi Daruwala, resident of Nainital district, said, ‘The last ten days have been horrific. The mountains are on fire and Bhim Tal lake which is the source of water in our area has practically dried up. We depend on local springs for our water supply but these have dried up due to lack of winter rain. This is going to create a huge water problem for us.’ Along with this, Daruwala said, ‘The fire broke out in winter and the forest department should have controlled it then itself. The fires were smoldering in winter but summer has intensified them and now the situation is such that practically every district is in its grip.
Agneya Budhraja, a resident of Suriya village, Saat Tal and a contractor who uses nature-friendly materials, said, “There is so much smoke that it is difficult to breathe. In the evening of 5th May, the fire reached my neighbour’s house. It took us three hours to control the fire.’ By late April, the fire had reached Nainital city and the state administration had to seek help from Indian Army and Air Force personnel. Nainital SDM Pramod Kumar said, ‘The fire could be extinguished by bringing water from Nainital and Bhimtal lakes through MI-17 helicopter.’
The state administration claims that 90 percent of these fires, which have spread around Pauri Garhwal, Chamoli, Almora and Mussoorie hills, are man-made. Villagers traditionally burn the forest floor to grow fresh grass. “In the last few weeks, dozens of villagers have been arrested for deliberately setting fires,” a senior forest official said.
Reenu Paul, an environmentalist living in Dehradun, does not accept this argument. She says, ‘In some parts the fires may be caused by villagers but most of the fires are the work of the real estate lobby which uses this (burned) forest land to develop colonies. This has been their modus operandi and they are in collusion with the local bureaucracy, otherwise it would not have been acceptable that this fire could not be stopped till now.
The fire intensified after the state administration informally conveyed the message that encroachers should be called ‘eco-entrepreneurs’ and should not be stopped from occupying forest land. “This has seen a huge increase in illegal encroachment in our forests and forest staff are turning a blind eye,” Paul said.
Paul also condemns that the government does not release accurate information about these fires. ‘Due to lack of moisture, the top soil has completely dried up and due to this, big stones are getting dislodged due to which landslides are occurring in Ramnagar and Haldwani areas. The tourist season has started and hence proper information should be given to the public so that their safety is not endangered. See how small children are running to save themselves from the fire that broke out in the Dunagiri temple. Thank God there were no casualties.
Pithoragarh writer BD Kasaniyal says, ‘Air and helicopter services to Pithoragarh and Munisiyari had to be stopped due to the forest fire and thick layer of smoke near the airport. The smoke has descended up to 1,000 meters and is much lower than the 5,000 meters required for air flights. The smoke is so dense that now even the mountain peaks are not visible.
A large number of tourists visit Sor and Quirala valley and complain of reduced visibility due to dense smoke. A tourist going from Jhulaghat to Gaurighat said, ‘This is worrying as it increases road accidents.’ Medical officials across the state reported a huge increase in the number of patients coming complaining of difficulty in breathing and burning sensation in the eyes. Has given. Dr. Chandra Rawat, in-charge of the primary health center in Jhulaghat, said, ‘We are seeing a rapid increase in the number of elderly patients, especially those who are
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