It is the need of the hour to change our approach to forest fires, modify our responses and take account of technological innovations in checking forest fires across the globe
The recent forest fires in Uttarakhand have generated sufficient heat that has not not only reignited the debate on the issue of sustainable development, but has also been responsible — to some extent — in sending alarm bells ringing across international diplomatic channels.
A similar diplomatic tussle to safeguard the environment was also evident at the COP28 summit held in Dubai last year.
It is obvious that major forest fires like the ones here in India or in Brazil’s Amazon rainforests in 2019 or the Australian wildfires can no longer remain localised affairs but tend to assume international dimensions, considering their overall impact on the environment.
The allegations that the fires had been lit intentionally to make way for developmental projects may or may not be true but the damage to the environment has already been done.
It was Brazil which hosted the historic Earth summit in 1992 where the concept of sustainable development was tabled and a long -term strategy to deal with climate change was formulated for the first time.
We have similar problems in our own forested areas, except for those where the rainfall is heavy and trees are able to retain sufficient moisture, as in the case of coastal areas and the forests of the North-East. Fires in the forests of the Shivaliks and lower Himalayas are a well- known and a regular feature, except that they keep varying in intensity.
Experience shows that the forest fires in hill areas are more difficult to tackle due to the hurdle of accessibility as noticed in several remote districts of Uttarakhand.
The Summer of ‘16
The year 2016 was an important year in terms of forest fire incidence, both in the number of fires as well as their spread, with at least seven confirmed casualties. On account of a virtual absence of winter rain, signs of an impending torrid season were visible even in mid-February, that year.
The absence of any rainfall through the months of March and April along with an unusual rise in temperatures further compounded the situation.
Despite sufficient time having been available, the necessary steps had not been taken. Also, the mobilisation of volunteers and other personnel on ground remained inadequate.
By the end of March an almost well-formed crisis had taken shape when the fires appeared to threaten human settlements and peripheral areas of some of the towns.
It was reported that the forest department was neither adequately prepared nor committed to fight these fires and was considering them to be an annual affair. Considering the gravity of the situation, the state disaster response force along with personnel from the National Disaster Relief Force in large numbers were involved in the fire fighting operations.
As the fires became more menacing and life-threatening, the Indian Air Force was also deployed and the choppers with Bambi Buckets were made available at the nearby Sarsawa air base situated in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district. They were immediately operationalised, with the lake at Nainital and the reservoir at the Tehri Dam provided adequate water to extinguish the fires. The only problem encountered was the supply of fuel for the choppers as the tankers had to move at a very slow pace on the winding hilly roads. The ordeal was finally over after a few showers towards the end of April, breaking one of the longest dry spells of more than 50 days at a stretch.
Beyond numbers
While only a certain amount of damage by fires can be quantified, the adverse impact on biodiversity and ecosystem remains immense and unquantifiable. The huge volumes of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere leads to adverse environmental impact.
In addition, nano-sized particles from the smoke tend to settle on the snow covered areas in the vicinity, which is a separate field of study in glaciology. It is, however, well-known that such depositions and even a fractional rise in temperatures lead to erosion and consequent retraction of glaciers.
Two very important glaciers in the vicinity of the fire impacted area are Gangotri and Milan and have been studied by experts extensively. The water from these glaciers flows entirely into the Gangetic river system.
Almost 65 per cent of the landmass in Uttarakhand is under the cover of forests, of which the Chir Pine (pinus roxburghii) occupies about 20 per cent of the area (about 400,000 hectares).
Pine needles — the tiny swords of fire
Every year, in the forests in Uttarakhand, loads of dry pine needles fall on the ground. These are very rich in oil and highly inflammable, constituting a major source of fuel for fire hazard in the state. The Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Department Agency (UREDA) has since launched a scheme whereby the pine needles are collected by village residents, who are paid by the weight of collection. The needles are then to be made use of as fuel for generating power.
Also, the government had previously considered getting rid of the Chir Pine plantation and resorting to large-scale afforestation by using oak and other hardy trees. But experts advised that the intervention can have ramifications both for the soil structure as well as the environment.
During the post fire analysis, one aspect which was emphatically mentioned by every expert was the participation of Van Panchayats had almost been negligible. Earlier, the forest dwellers provided volunteers who would maintain vigil and also helped in preventing and extinguishing the fires well in time.
After the introduction of and sometimes over stringent application of the Forest Rights Act, the traditional forest dwellers from certain areas have faced eviction leading to a sort of vacuum with nobody left to look after vast tracts of forests. The official departmental guards are either too inadequate or intermittently absent from duty.
In some countries, like Australia and elsewhere, spraying of fire retardants is not uncommon when the fires become life threatening. However, such sprays have not been used in India. Nevertheless, there is enough scope for technological innovations in forest-fire management.
Ashish Mansharamani is the Associate Director at Indian Social Responsibility Network. Views expressed belong to the author and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth.
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