Uttarakhand recorded 47 fresh forest fire occurrences in the state, scorching about 78 hectares of forest area on Monday. This added to the states continuous struggle with forest fires. Thirty of these infernos destroyed an area of 51 hectares, with the majority of them affecting the Kumaon region. Additionally, 16 events affecting 25 hectares were reported by Garhwal, and one incident burnt 1.5 hectares of protected woods.According to the sources, 30 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams along with army choppers have been pushed to extinguish the fire. Meanwhile, union minister of state for defense and tourism Ajay Bhatt, all the tourist destinations are completely secure. He made the statement after visiting the forest area near Bhowali range, where he confirmed the successful containment of the forest five within 36 hours by state government administration. Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, the administration has stopped the boating for the tourists in Naini Lake. Amid raising concerns of wildfire in Nainital, Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand on Monday held a high-level meeting and asked the officials to take strict action for those who are responsible. He also conducted the aerial survey of the area doused in fire.There is never one factor that adds to the issue. Uttarakhands susceptibility to forest fires stems from a combination of natural and human factors, dry weather conditions is one of them. Uttarakhand experiences dry weather conditions, especially during the summer months, which create favorable conditions for the ignition and spread of forest fires. Apart from this, the rugged and mountainous terrain of Uttarakhand makes it challenging for firefighters to reach remote areas where fires may start. Additionally, the steep slopes can cause fires to spread rapidly.Climate change has led to increased temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns, which can exacerbate drought conditions and make forests more susceptible to fires.
