News Brief
Amid The Fight Against Covid-19, Uttarakhand Faces A New Challenge — Forest Fires
- The delay in dealing with forest fires is owing to the deputation of forest personnel for Covid-19-related duties.
NDRF personnel douse the flames and conduct rescue operation in Uttarakhand. (Arun Sharma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Uttarakhand's forest department has a challenge to face. With the rising temperatures, instances of forest fires are coming to light.
Owing to the Covid-19 situation in the state, precautionary efforts could have got delayed. According to this report, every year, the forest department cuts fire lines.
Usually, this is done before the beginning of the forest fire season — during late February and March, the onset of summer and during summer.
Cutting fire lines is a process of splitting the forests into sections in order to cut the flow or spread of fire, once it begins at one end.
This year, the process of cutting fire lines got delayed owing to the Covid-19 situation being faced by the state.
The report says that the delay was owing to the lack of funds in different ranges owing to the coronavirus situation.
The preparation for cutting fire lines takes place prior to the onset of the season of forest fires.
According to the same report, forest inspectors and some personnel have been assigned law and order duties in the fight against Covid-19.
The work of cutting fire lines to battle forest fires in sensitive zones of the forest ranges has begun. The situation could take a tricky turn if not dealt with seriously at this stage, the report adds.
Earlier this month, two women were charred to death and another injured in a forest fire at a village in Bageshwar district. They had gone to collect fodder for their cattle. Sometimes, forest fires that take place in small patches are tricky.
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