Relief to Uttarakhand from Wildfires

• 05 Jun 2024

Why in News?

Recently, Rainfall has provided relief from the continuous forest fires in areas such as Pauri and Nainital of Uttarakhand.

Key Points

• Despite the current temperatures being lower by two to three degrees, the residents are advised to remove dried shrubs around their homes to avoid fires from spreading.
  • The unusually high temperatures this season have accelerated the spread of forest fires.
• Over the past six months, Uttarakhand has witnessed more than 1,100 fire incidents, destroying over 1,500 hectares of forest land.

Government Initiatives on Forest Fire

• National Action Plan for Forest Fires (NAPFF), was started in 2018 with the goal of reducing forest fires by informing, enabling, and empowering forest fringe communities and incentivising them to collaborate with state forest departments.
• The Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme (FPM) is the only government-sponsored programme dedicated to assisting states in dealing with forest fires.