Often unquantified, the social and economic impacts of forest fires are considerable: lives are lost, health problems occur, animals are killed and the environment suffers
The disaster:
Lives lost: 5
Land gutted by forest fire: Almost 1,600 acres of land (hundreds of villages/clusters)
Forest Fire in India:
Almost 50-55% of the total forest cover in India is prone to forest fire annually
Indian State of Forest Report, 2015: Tropical thorn forest, Tropical dry evergreen forest and Subtropical pine forest - most prone to forest fires
Period: Between February & mid-June
Why— Soil moisture is at its lowest
Himalayan Belt:
Western Himalayan region- moist deciduous, tropical dry deciduous, temperate and sub-Alpine types
Prone to fires owing to less rain in the pre-monsoon period
More susceptible trees: Pine forest in Garhwal & Kumaon Hills
Forest Fire & Ecology
The ground vegetation is completely destructed— severe loss of biodiversity
oLoss of forest cover
oLoss to the wildlife habitat
oLoss of human lives
Emissions of Carbon in the Atmosphere (Climate change - lack of sustainable land use policy)
Expansion of deforested area— Change in landscape & micro-climate—Drying up of forest floor
Fires in the understorey of humid rainforests can cause tree mortality and canopy openness (Land transforms into ''savannah'')
Major Issues related to Indian Forests:
Definition of Forest: No proper definition charted out with environmentalists and the government authorities having their own version of what exactly a forest is.
Greed for Land:
Increased industrial activity
Need to increase agricultural production
Nexus between land developers & Timber Mafia
Climate Change:
Natural Disasters: Volcanoes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Cloudbursts in Himalayas, Droughts, Storms
Mild winter: More pests and diseases (insect infestations)
The El-Niño effect: contributes to increases in the frequency of drought and lightning strikes
A recent study of various forest conditions in Russia suggests that a 2°C rise in temperature could increase the area affected by forest fires by a factor of between one and a half and two
India's Efforts:
Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDCs): Pledged to
Increase its forest cover and improve the quality of forest cover
Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent through additional forests and tree cover by 2030
Technology used for monitoring:
Satellite images to detect forest fires and its spread (INFFRAS)
Mapping of fire-sensitive zones as well as real-time data
Pre & post fire guidelines/warnings
Firefighting Techniques:
Clearance of stretches of ground vegetation in between forest areas to arrest the spread of forest fire
Beating the fire with the help of local community with specified certain equipment's
Difficult to implement technique: Helicopters spraying water or carbon dioxide
Way Ahead:
The lack of regulatory enforcement and contradictory policies and laws need to be tamed in order to arrest the loss—ASEAN's Zero Burning Policy needs to be reformed and given more teeth in order to keep the trend in check
Rural community is a major stakeholder and government should involve its large rural communities in preparing for the future— by utilizing effective intervention of community-led ''van panchayats'' (forest councils) in preventing fires.
Usage of biomass alternatives, including cooking gas, has had a beneficial impact on fire risk, and this must be expanded
The plantation sector can be tapped for reducing the clearance of ecologically important natural oak forests, by giving preference to growing useful fodder and timber trees
