20220818 Uttarakhand among 10 states with most wildfires in India
India Jun 18 2022 “Forest”
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Uttarakhand among 10 states with most wildfires in India
Updated: 2022-08-18
DEHRADUN: In a conference held at forest headquarters in Dehradun on Wednesday, ecologists, scientists and environmentalists deliberated on ways to tackle forest fires in Western Himalayas.
The conference titled — Forest fires in Western Himalayas – blending science, technology and traditional knowledge — was organised by Dehradun-based Centre for Ecology Development and Research (CEDAR).
Speaking at the event, ecologist SP Singh said, “Despite several forest fire incidents in Uttarakhand, college students don’t learn anything about it. Forest fires should be made a part of the college curriculum here. This would spread awareness and encourage people to tackle them effectively.”
Several other activists laid emphasis on adopting best practices to check forest fire incidents.
On the occasion, authorities of the Forest Survey of India (FSI) revealed that Uttarakhand reported 12,985 wildfire incidents between November 2021 and June 2022. According to FSI data, Uttarakhand is among the 10 states with the most such cases. The data also established a direct correlation between tourism and other economic activities and forest fire incidents in the hills.
Padma Shri awardee Shekhar Pathak, historian, writer and academician from Kumaon, said, “Uttarakhand has been witnessing more intense heat waves every year. In the West, people are reading about the connection between radioactive substances buried under mountains and heatwaves. We also need to conduct such studies.” Experts speaking at the event pointed out that the younger generation would have to come forward to help the forest department prevent wildfire incidents. The day-long conference was also attended by retired and serving Indian Forest Service officers from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Web Source: The Times of India