UTTARAKHAND FOREST FIRES: DEATH TOLL RISES TO 5, HIGHEST SINCE 2019

At least five persons have died in the ravaging forest fires in Uttarakhand in the past week with a 65-year-old woman identified as Savitri Devi succumbing to her burn injuries at AIIMS, Rishikesh, on Sunday night.

The forest fire season this year has seen the highest number of deaths in the state since 2019 even though the total forest impacted is still less than that in 2021, when 3,943 hectares of forest land was affected.

According to the Forest Survey of India (FSI) data on forest fires, Uttarakhand has reported 5,702 forest fires since April 29, most for any state in India. Both Kumaon and Gharwal regions of the state are under the grip of forest fires that have spread till the mid-Himalayas, according to state forest department officials. Higher reaches are not impacted because of colder weather conditions there, officials said.

Since November last year, 910 incidents of forest fires have been reported in the state in which over 1,144 hectares of forest land have been damaged. Of the total land damaged, 398.405 hectares were damaged in the Garhwal region, 657.9625 hectares in the Kumaon region and 87.98 hectares in the administrative wildlife regions.

However, forest land lost due to forest fire this year is less as compared to previous years. In 2019, a total of 2,158 forest fires had affected 2,981 hectares of forest land, which also led to death of a person and injured another 15. In 2020, a total of 172 hectares of forest land was affected due to 135 major forest fires, in which two persons died. Both 2021 and 2022 were years of major forest fires. In 2021, a total of 3,943 hectares were affected in 2,813 fires and in 2022, a total of 3,425 hectares in 2,186 fires. In 2023, a total of 933 hectares of forest land was affected in 733 forest fires, causing death of three people.

However, there can be some respite from fire from May 7 when the India Meteorological Department has predicted rains. Director of the Meteorological Center in Dehradun, Bikram Singh, said there is a possibility of rain in Uttarakhand from May 7 to May 8, which will intensify from May 11 onwards.

“The downpour is forecast to start in the Kumaon region from May 7 and in the Garhwal region from May 8. This may help in extinguishing the forest fires,” he added. But gusty wind at the rate of 30-40 kmph at some places may contribute to spreading the fires to new areas if rainfall is not heavy, the IMD said.

The wildfires intensified after mid-April as temperatures rose and they have gripped 1,145 hectares of forests in 910 major forest fires since November 1, 2023, according to FSI data.

Forest department officials said Savitri Devi of Thapli village in Pauri tehsil of Pauri Garhwal district died on Sunday night, first forest fire related death from Garwhal region. She is the 5th person to be reported dead due to forest fires. Four deaths were reported due to forest fires in the Kumaon region.

Pauri Garhwal district disaster management officer, Deepesh Kala, said, “On May 4, around 1.30pm, Savitri Devi was trying to douse the forest fire that reached near her farm. She was trapped in the fire as she slipped. She suffered extensive burn injuries. She was first taken to Pauri district hospital by an ambulance. The woman was eventually referred to AIIMS Rishikesh. In the early hours of Sunday, we received a call from the hospital that she died during the treatment.”

Nishant Verma, additional principal chief conservator of forests and state nodal officer for forest fires, said, “Most of the forest fires in the state are man-made. We have been taking strict action against miscreants who have been setting fire to the forests. Since the beginning of the year, we have registered 351 cases in various districts. In these cases, 290 people are unidentified and 61 are named. Our efforts to identify those unnamed in these cases are underway.”

On April 27, two Mi-17 choppers of the Indian Air Force and the Army jawans were pressed into service to douse the forest fire in Nainital town of Uttarakhand, with flames reaching the vicinity of an Air Force Station near Lariyakanta. The IAF choppers collected water using a Bambi bucket from Bhimtal lake and poured it over the burning forests near the Air Force station. The choppers carried out over a dozen sorties and succeeded in dousing the fire by afternoon.

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2024-05-06T13:27:17Z dg43tfdfdgfd