Uttarakhand recorded maximum fire alerts countrywide in snowless January

India’s Himalayan forests are burning amber, instead of being snow-clad this winter. The highest number of fire alerts between January 9 and 16, 2024, in India have been recorded in Uttarakhand, according to official data.

The situation is grim in the state, according to local residents and experts. A lack of snowfall and rainfall in Uttarakhand has led to an increasing number of forest fires, they added.

The data vindicates this. There was no rain or snowfall from January 1-16. Nainital recorded a miniscule 0.8 millimetres (mm) of rain, as opposed to the 14 mm that it usually gets.

Almora and Bageshwar usually record over 15 mm, Chamoli records 20 mm while Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi record 28 and 26 mm of rain respectively.

However, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh and other hill districts in Uttarakhand have recorded a 100 per cent deficit in rainfall this time, according to the Dehradun centre of the India Meteorological Department.

December too was dry, with Uttarakhand receiving 75 per cent less rainfall than normal.

This has translated into forest fires statewide.

A fire broke out in the Kamyar Van Panchayat of Dasholi tehsil in the border district of Chamoli on January 15. The sarpanch (Van Panchayat head), Pradip Singh, told this reporter: “The forests have no moisture at the moment. The soil is dry and there is plenty of leaf litter. A beedi or cigarette thrown carelessly on the ground can unknowingly start a fire. People must stay alert.” Singh is already worried about the situation during the approaching summer.

Jaiprakash Kukreti, a resident of Tehri district, told this reporter that the forests were aflame this winter. “There is so much burning going on that smoke plumes are everywhere. We rural folk usually clean our fields at this time with controlled burning. But this winter, the fires have gone out of control.”

Bhagchand Ramola, a farmer from Majhgaon village in Tehri district, said: “We last had rain 10 days before Diwali 2023. There has been no rain after that. We usually do not move out of our homes after 5 pm during winters, given the freezing weather outdoors. But there is no cold this time. The afternoon sunlight is so sharp and the weather so dry that the jungle surrounding our village has burnt down.”

Sumit Tomar, the district forest officer of Tehri, told this reporter that the forest department also carries out controlled burning to clear the forest floor of leaf litter during winters. This is done to prevent forest fires during the summer. “This could also be responsible for the smoke plumes being seen by people,” he added.

Tomar said efforts were on to make villagers aware about fire safety practices. “They should not set their fields or chir pine leaves in the forests alight at this time,” he said.

Bikram Singh, the director of the Dehradun meteorological centre, said a decreasing trend had been noticed in the past few years as far as post-monsoon precipation was concerned. “There is almost negligible rain and snowfall during November and December. There has been no rain till now in January,” he told this reporter.

The years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 had also seen very less post-monsoon precipitation, according to Singh. “There were dry winters for a period of four consecutive years. Now, this pattern has become even more frequent,” he added.

How it will impact

A dry winter means Uttarakhand could face major problems in terms of drinking water availability, horticulture as well tourism services.

J P Mahtani, who works for rural development and livelihood in Chamoli’s Pipalkoti, told this reporter: “The southwest monsoon recharges our waterbodies for the winter whereas the winter precipitation does so for the spring and summer, till the arrival of the monsoon. Since there has been no rain and snow this time, there is bound to be a drinking water problem. There could also be no fodder for livestock. Rural women in the state will have to trek several more kilometres than they usually do, in the search for water and fodder.”

All this could, in turn, affect farming and horticulture in the mountains. Horticulturists are struggling to find water for the fruit-bearing trees planted during the winter.

Jaideep, a horticulturist from Pipalkoti, said: “I have 270 apple, peach, plum, apricot, kiwi and other trees. It is difficult to save them this time since there is no moisture in the soil. I hope there is some rain and snow so that we farmers and horticulturists get relief.”

The lack of rain has also prevented the sowing of wheat in the hills’ unirrigated fields. “We have not been able to sow wheat and barley due to lack of rain. Those who still want to sow barley, will not be able to do so. January is about to get over. Barley sprouts 15 days after sowing and the harvest is carried out in April. The date for the sowing of wheat is also past. Most rivers are drying up due to lack of rain. The situation in irrigated fields is also not very promising.”

Precipitation in the form of rain and snow is also tied to the tourism sector in the hiking and ski destination of Auli. Hotelier Atul Shah said no snow had fallen this time in Auli. “It has severely affected tourist footfalls.”

There was very light snowfall in the temple town of Badrinath on January 17. All eyes are now on the remaining days of January as well as the month of February.