Uttarakhand’s Forest Fire Preparedness: Mitigation Over Panic

Uttarakhand’s forest fire situation remains under control with no need for SDRF or NDRF intervention, according to Subodh Uniyal. Despite recording numerous fires affecting vast hectares, public participation and preventive measures are emphasized to maintain safety in the tourism-dependent state.

The forest fire situation in Uttarakhand is yet to reach the stage requiring deployment of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) or National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said on Tuesday.

According to official data, Uttarakhand recorded 394 forest fire incidents this year up to May 25, affecting 331.12 hectares of forest land.

The Garhwal division recorded 285 incidents affecting 241.32 hectares, while the Kumaon division reported 74 incidents impacting 64.04 hectares. Wildlife areas saw 35 incidents, affecting 25.75 hectares of land.

Five districts, Chamoli, Tehri, Pauri, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh, were the worst affected.

Chamoli recorded 135 fire incidents this season that damaged 67.79 hectares. Tehri Garhwal and Pauri Garhwal recorded 45 and 42 incidents, impacting 42.9 hectares and 58.5 hectares respectively.

Rudraprayag reported 39 incidents affecting 26.02 hectares, followed closely by Pithoragarh with 37 fires affecting 31.25 hectares.

Addressing a press conference here, Uniyal said the forest fire situation in the state is not alarming, and has not reached a stage where SDRF or NDRF intervention is needed.

Under the standard operating procedure for forest fire mitigation, fires that stay active for one to three days and affect between 21 and 42 hectares are managed by the forest department, other state departments, and local communities.

Assistance from the SDRF, NDRF, and Air Force is only sought for fires that exceed this scale, Uniyal said.

The minister urged citizens to avoid panic, emphasising that accurate facts must be shared as Uttarakhand is a tourism-dependent state and any misinformation can discourage visitors.

Citing last year data, he said an impression was created that the entire state was under the grip of forest fires, even as Uttarakhand ranked 14th among states in this regard. Last year, the state recorded 268 incidents affecting 310.95 hectares of forest.

The minister further said since the start of the forest fire season on February 15 and May 25, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) issued 3,769 alerts. Of these, only 529 alerts, or 14 per cent, were related to forest fires.

Speaking to PTI, Sushant Patnaik, Chief Conservator of Forests and Nodal Officer (Forest Fire)said data from the Forest Survey of India plays a crucial role in forest fire dousing operations.

The agency captures satellite imagery of active fires and transmits them to the forest department's forest fire cell, which forwards the coordinates to the respective forest divisions for verification, allowing field teams to carry out targeted extinguishing operations.

The official said to manage the situation on the ground, the department has operationalised 1,438 crew stations and 40 control rooms across the state, along with an integrated control and command centre at the forest headquarters.

Data from the ten-year period between 2016 and 2025 shows that Uttarakhand witnessed 14,638 forest fire incidents, affecting 23,682.77 hectares of forest and resulting in 35 deaths and 76 injuries.

Uniyal outlined several measures introduced by the forest department over the past four to five years to control fires effectively. These include promoting public participation and instituting three awards worth Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000 and Rs 51,000 in both public and private sectors in every district for outstanding fire-fighting efforts.

Senior forest officers have also been deployed as nodal officers in each district.

Additionally, around 5,625 fire watchers have been deployed, and forest personnel have been provided with fire-resistant jackets and equipment. The accident insurance cover for fire watchers has been increased from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

The collection of pine needles, locally known as pirul, which are a major cause of fires, has also been linked to local livelihood initiatives.

Terming public awareness as the most crucial element in preventing forest fires, the minister said the forest department recently organised more than 3,500 awareness camps.

He noted that the lowest number of forest fires since the formation of the state was recorded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with only 135 incidents.