Rise in Forest Fires in Uttarakhand

• 24 Dec 2024

Why in News? 

According to the report by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Uttarakhand has recorded a 74% rise in forest fires. 

 Key Points 

• Satellite Observations and Fire Counts: 
  • In Uttarakhand, satellite data recorded a significant rise in fire incidents, with 21,033 fire counts from November 2023 to June 2024, compared to 5,351 during the same period in 2022–2023. 
    • A total of 1,808.9 sq km of forest area was impacted by fires during the season. 
  • Andhra Pradesh reported the highest fire-affected area (5,286.76 sq km) followed by Maharashtra (4,095.04 sq km) and Telangana (3,983.28 sq km), Himachal Pradesh (783.11 sq km). 
• Top Affected States: 
  • Chhattisgarh: 18,950 incidents. 
  • Andhra Pradesh: 18,174 incidents. 
  • Maharashtra: 16,008 incidents. 
  • Madhya Pradesh: 15,878 incidents. 
  • Telangana: 13,479 incidents. 
• High-Risk Areas: 
  • Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir were declared as "very high risk" zones. 
• Nationwide Risk:  
  • Approximately 11.34% of India’s forest cover and scrub area lies in extremely to very highly fire-prone zones, with vulnerable patches in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand. 
• Fire Susceptibility: 
  • Climatic conditions like extreme heat and availability of fuel wood contribute significantly to forest fire susceptibility. 
  • Fires often spread rapidly to other forest areas due to the presence of combustible material. 
  • This data highlights the growing severity of forest fires in India, with substantial ecological and environmental implications. 

 Forest Survey of India   

• Established: Established on 1st June 1981, succeeding the Pre Investment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR) initiated in 1965.  
  • In 1976, the National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) recommended establishing a National Forest Survey Organization, leading to the creation of FSI.  
  • PISFR was initiated in 1965 by the Government of India with the sponsorship of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  
• Parent Organization: Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.  
• Primary Objective: To assess and monitor the forest resources of India regularly.  
  • In addition, it is also engaged in providing the services of training, research and extension.   
• Functioning: FSI has headquarters at Dehradun and has pan India presence with four regional offices at Shimla, Kolkata, Nagpur and Bangalore.   
  • The Eastern zone has a sub centre at Burnihat (Meghalaya).