Aerial Firefighting Redeployed in Uttarakhand to Combat Forest Fires

Uttarakhand fights forest fires with aerial firefighting and NDRF deployment in Pauri and Almora. Aerial firefighting uses IAF helicopters to pour water on fires, while NDRF personnel will be deployed in affected areas. Temperatures are rising, leading to increased fire risk, so stubble and garbage burning are banned. Local groups, PAC, and homeguards will assist in firefighting efforts, and water tanks and foam extinguishers will be used. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for starting fires, including property seizure and payment for property damage.

The Uttarakhand government resorted to aerial firefighting once again on Monday to quell raging forest fires in the state and decided to deploy the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the worst affected Pauri and Almora districts.

Uttarakhand reported 20 fresh forest fire incidents over the past 24 hours in which 52.07 hectares of green cover was destroyed, according to a Forest Department bulletin.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter collected water from the Alaknanda river in a Bambi Bucket and poured it over the burning forests of Dobh Shrikot and other areas to douse the flames, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi told reporters.

Several such sorties were undertaken during the day to control the fires which have ravaged more than 1,000 hectares of forest cover across the state since November last year.

''Aerial firefighting is going on in Pauri and will continue for some time,'' Garhwal Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Swapnil Anirudh said.

The state government first resorted to aerial firefighting on April 27 when a forest fire reached dangerously close to a residential area in Nainital.

''We have also decided to deploy NDRF in Pauri and Almora districts from where the maximum number of forest fire incidents have been reported,'' Raturi said.

With the soaring temperatures likely to further aggravate the situation, stubble and garbage burning have been completely banned for the time being, the chief secretary said.

She said an elaborate action plan has been prepared to control the situation with the involvement of the Mahila and Yuvak Mangal Dals at the local level, PAC, homeguards and PRD personnel apart from the fire watchers.

Small water tanks will be bought by the disaster management department that can be sent to the hills to extinguish the flames. Foam fire extinguishers will also be used, Raturi said.

Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar said stern action will be taken against anyone caught lighting a fire in forests, either deliberately or otherwise.

Initially, action will be taken against them under the forest and wildlife acts but if need be, properties of repeat offenders would be sealed under the Gangster Act and they may be made to pay for the damage caused to public property, the DGP said.

So far, 13 FIRs have been lodged against six people for starting forest fires and four of them have been arrested, he said.

Five people have so far been killed and four injured in forest fires.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)