Uttarakhand Wildfires: Air Services Halted for Second Day Amidst Hazy Conditions

Due to smoke from forest fires, air services to Pithoragarh and Munsiyari remain canceled for the second day, affecting flights from Dehradun and heli services from Haldwani. Visibility near the airport is below required levels, making it unsafe for aircraft operations. Forest fires in multiple areas, including Saur Valley, have caused dense smoke, reducing visibility and causing respiratory problems for locals. Efforts are underway to control the fires and improve air quality.

Air services to Pithoragarh and Munsiyari towns of the border district remained suspended for the second day on Saturday due to poor visibility around the Naini-Saini airport caused by smoke rising from the burning forests.

Visibility around the airport and its surroundings remained less than 1000-metre, which is required to be at least 5000 metres for air fliers to operate, officials said.

''Visibility in Saur valley where the airport is located has dropped drastically due to smoke being emitted by forest fires,'' SDM Ashish Kumar Mishra said.

The smoke rising from the forests is so dense in both Pithoragarh and Munsiyari that even the mountain peaks are not visible, he said. ''Air passengers to Pithoragarh and Haldwani are disappointed due to cancellation of both the services. Efforts are on to douse the forest fires to clear the weather,'' Mishra said. The air service is operated by an aircraft of Fly Big company from Dehradun to Pithoragarh while the heli services are operated by Heritage aviation company from Haldwani to Pithoragarh and Munsiyari. Besides Saur valley, the forest fires are raging in Quirala valley of Champawat and the forests of Lohaghat, Jhoolaghat and Gaurihat. ''We had to take extra care in going towards Jhoolaghat from Gaurihat as the visibility on the 10-km-long road is so poor that no vehicle could be seen from beyond 10-metre distance due to smokes emitting from forest fires in surrounding jungles,'' said Vikram Singh Rawat, a tourist who had gone to Jhoolaghat. According to medical officers in community and primary health centres at various places in the district, an increased number of patients are coming to the hospitals complaining of difficulty in breathing and irritation in the eyes. ''These problems are caused by smoke coming from the raging forest fires,'' Jhoolaghat PHC in charge Harish Chandra Rawat said.

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