Between April and June, unprecedented wildfires burned 0.45 percent of the state. The Forest Department is responsible for the growing dry climate and human neglect. Locals are shifting the balance of the environment by linking the fire to faulty development projects.
Dar es Salaam (Asia News) – Forest fires are becoming a major issue in the Himalayas, particularly in the Himalayan Pradesh, northern India.
The state Department of Forests and Fire Protection reported 2,763 fires between April 1 and June 30, 2022, an average of 31 per day, according to the Mongabai, Environmental Science and Conservation News.
This is often the case with forest fires. This year’s figure is the highest since 2007 and is higher than the previous year. The worst record was 2,544 fires in the 2018/2019 fiscal year.
In all, 23,239 hectares of forest land, 18,600 natural forest areas and another 4,500 hectares of new plantations were destroyed between April and June this year.
The burnt area covers 0.45 percent of the state. The damage is estimated at around 640 million rupees (US $ 8 million).
Three forest department workers were killed in the blaze.
For the department, the growing drought is to blame – in April, Himalayan Pradesh received only 10 percent of the normal rainfall – but also human negligence and burns.
According to Mongabai, locals are responsible for large-scale development projects that are changing the balance of the environment.
