The plague of forest fires must be stopped by taking preventive action
Similar to past years, fires are sweeping across forests in many regions of India this year. In Uttarakhand, where thousands of hectares of wood are on fire, the situation is especially dire. Wildfires are raging over the hill state, and things are becoming desperate. It is well known that India experiences forest fires from November to June. Ensuring sufficient readiness is crucial to preventing and promptly containing a fire. However, the authorities are finding it difficult to address the issue. In an attempt to avoid accountability, officials try to assign full blame to antisocial elements or blame similar instances on the dry weather. However, the incapacity of the government to control forest fires is a direct result of the unwarranted and unforgivable carelessness of Uttarakhand and Indian government officials.
The State of Forest Report 2021, published in 2022, included information from the Forest Survey of India (FSI) indicating that there were 3,45,989 forest fire incidents in 2021, the most ever recorded in the nation. Compared to 2019, there were about one lakh more forest fire incidents this year. State governments around the nation, as well as the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, ought to have been informed by the study. We have to realize how essential our forest resources are to the survival of both animals and people. Let’s talk about workable ways to deal with forest fires, which are an annual occurrence that have terrible effects on the environment and the economy but are quickly forgotten when the rain gods show their favor.
From 1997 to 2002, while I worked at the Ministry of Environment and Forests, I developed a national fire plan and estimated the yearly damage. Following the disastrous fires that were seen in 1999 in the coal-bearing forests of Indonesia, the authorities of that country hosted an international symposium in Bagor. At the discussion, there was general agreement that it is preferable to avoid wildfires rather than wait for them to start and then attempt to contain them, as once a wildfire gets out of control, no amount of technology can put it out. The Ministry of Environment and Forests revised its guidelines in 2001, abandoning the notion of dousing forest fires with aircraft and helicopters. The reason behind this is that, in contrast to Canada, the US, and Australia, where aerial foams are used in conjunction with sturdy ground apparatus, India lacks extensive wood.
It was decided to provide the FSI funding so that it could utilize satellites to identify forest fires and notify the relevant forest agencies within minutes of the fire being discovered. This is still how it’s done now. When there is a fire, the FSI notifies the relevant personnel right away. Before November, each forest division is required to maintain, repair, and clear the forest fire lines, as well as remove any fuel loads from the adjacent woods and the fire lines themselves. Each range and forest division is required to have a fire prevention strategy in place prior to November, which should identify places that are susceptible, produce a risk assessment, install an early warning system, and implement the plan by stationing equipment, water bag packs, and other items as needed. Mapping of the vicinity of habitations is necessary for risk management.
For Joint Forest Management/van panchayats to include people and provide assistance during fire seasons, special funding was set out. The states were instructed to apply Section 79 of the Indian Forest Act, which mandates that government employees and local residents report forest fires, assist in their containment, and maintain teams prepared for any region that is recognized. These principles must have been reimagined and reaffirmed annually by the minister. Now that a mechanism has been put in place, it is up to the states to figure out why they feel powerless every time there is a fire. They have the duty to ascertain the causes and parties accountable for the deficiencies in fire preparation and monitoring.
Forest fires may be largely avoided and reduced if state administrations and forest officers adhere to a rigorously planned and monitored program of fire prevention and disaster management with enough resources, personnel, equipment, and ongoing monitoring. Zero tolerance for fire accidents requires panchayat and community participation in mock exercises and monitoring before and throughout the fire season. Human interference and fuel load control are important factors. It seems that only at that level of involvement can the system be made to function; thus, a thorough examination of the standard operating procedures is important, and the CM of every state has to take the initiative.
With an emphasis on the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the prime minister and the environment minister need to push back against bureaucracy and take decisive action to address the rising incidence of landslides and other natural disasters in the nation, in addition to preventing forest fires. Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, has taken command of the issue and prompted state authorities to act. Although significant harm has already been done, the repercussions are already apparent on the ground.
It is the responsibility of all political parties to inform the public about the dangers of starting a forest fire. Since hundreds of religious buildings were built in Uttarakhand under the watchful eyes of forest guards and rangers and thousands of hectares of forestland were encroached upon, the field’s neglect has been well recognized. The CM didn’t take the effort to have several hundred of these encroachments razed until the issue was brought up with the PMO on many occasions. On the other hand, no action has been taken against commanders overseeing the divisions and ranges or the field workers. The people of Uttarakhand demand accountability and decent government; thus, everyone in the system must make sure of it.
