No time to grieve for roses when the forests are burning.
-Zbigniew Herbert

Humans have become so blind in the lust of consumption that they are not able to see what the things they are doing and what repercussions the world is facing. It is absurd that people are first cutting their legs and then treating them. The same is happening with the environment, first humans are exploiting the natural resources excessively by harming the environment and then trying to find the solutions to resolve those issues. 

As we can easily see this year the whole world is suffering from El Nino and the LA Nino effect on account of the heat wave can be felt by the people and the death toll is increasing day by day due to excessive heat in the summer season across the world. We are aware of the issue of climate change everyone is saying climate change is occurring but people need to understand how that this is the time to do something for the environment. We are supposed to give more preference to biodegradable objects instead of harmful products such as plastic. However, these kinds of acts have become of meagre importance. The opportunity seems to be slipped from the hands of the people as the rampant consequences are so vividly visible that the humans are looked at helplessly. Earlier, those incidents which were found few or sometimes in the natural cycle now have become the daily routine. Forest Fires are one of the examples of that. It would be irrelevant to tell the drastic usage of forests and the dependency of the abiotic and biotic competition on it. What is a forest? 

What is a forest fire? How does it happen?

What is the generating impact of forest fire on both animals and humans? We will try to understand the answer to all these questions.  In this very article. One, however, thing very much needs to be understood in this article which is the combination of heart and mind. 

WHAT IS A FOREST?

A forest or a jungle, whenever we hear this word we get a story in our mind. You guessed it right; The Jungle Book composed by Rudyard Kipling. The vivid character of Mowgali comes into our mind, where he being human always stands ahead to protect the animals and forest. Two animals taught him the importance of the forest and the animals. 

Forests cover one-third of the earth's land mass, performing vital functions and supporting the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people.

As per the website of the Convention on Biology Diversity, The fact that "forest" has been defined in many ways is a reflection of the diversity of forests and forest ecosystems in the world and of the diversity of human approaches to forests. In this document, a forest is a land area of more than 0.5 ha, with a tree canopy cover of more than 10%, which is not primarily under agricultural or other specific non-forest land use. In the case of young forests or regions where tree growth is climatically suppressed, the trees should be capable of reaching a height of 5 m in situ, and of meeting the canopy cover requirement.

WHAT IS FOREST FIRE OR WILDFIRE?

Forest fire simply means that when the forest catches fire the fire becomes uncontrolled and devastating for the existence of itself. The term Wildfires is also used to express the same thing but the term wildfires is used to express more intense forest fire. Wildfires are not like the simple fire which can be extinguished with the aid of water, soil and sand. Putting out the burning jungle is very deleterious for firefighters and the residents. Fire danger in a wildland setting varies with weather conditions: drought, heat, and wind participate in drying out the timber or other fuel, making it easier to ignite. Once a fire is burning, drought, heat, and wind all increase its intensity.

CASE STUDY OF BURNING OF UTTARAKHAND HILLS

Uttarakhand was segregated from Uttar Pradesh because its development was halted due to the inclination of the government to be more on the plain areas of the Ganga River. Thus, in 2000, Uttarakhand came into being. Uttarakhand is known for its religious places such as Rishikesh, Rudraprayag, Kedarnath, Badrinath and so on. Therefore this land is also called 'Devbhoomi'. Moreover, Uttarakhand is known for captivating tourists from all across India. 

Apart from all these factors, Uttarakhand is also known for its national parks and the wealth of forest area. 

As per the Report of Forest Survey of India, 2019, Uttarakhand has a recorded forest area of 38,000 square kilometres, which is 71.05% of its geographical area. Since November 2023, when forest fires began to rage, there have been 1,038 incidents that have gutted 1,385.5 hectares (ha) of forest land till May 10. While authorities have dismissed these as "annual affairs” in the hills, the cost of these fires has been borne by the people whose lives depend on the mountains. 

• Incident of Forest Fires 

It is like a national duty. We have to douse the fires and save our forests. We are the same as the army men deployed on the international border to save the country, with the difference being they have guns to protect the border, and we have a tree branch to beat out the flame," says Shiv Rawat a young forest ranger in Uttarakhand.

From November 2023 till the beginning days of May 2024, as per an estimate, 1038 incidents of forest fires have been registered in the entire state of Uttarakhand. In the entire state, the incidents of forest fires were seen on more than a normal scale. This has raised the concern of the state government and localized people. As jungles are the resources of various necessary items. This time on the 2nd of May some people became the prey of rampant flames of wildfires. Gyanu Chalaune and his wife Bansati were dwelling there to earn by collecting resins from the pine tree so that they could give it to a person called Ramesh Bakuni; for whom they were working as employees, and they were able to earn approximately 50,000 to 60,000 if they continuously work for 6 months. 

On the other day, they were getting ready to do their job for which they were hired on contract. After a few moments they saw that on the top of the hill, there was a person who was running to and fro desperately to safeguard himself from caught flames of fire. The couple went there and they found that the person was his colleague Deepak Pujara who was craving to die due to some in contact with wildfires. They saw that his wife was lying over there in a half-burnt condition. The couple took a branch of a tree and tried to save them but unfortunately, all four people succumbed. Now, Bakuni says here that he could not muster the courage to tell the small kids of Chalaune that their parents had died. This is just a small incident, such types of incidents are numerous and thus the residents suffer a lot whether it is economically, physically or mentally. 

Due to forest fires, incidents like these are causing huge loss of humans and the environment. As I mentioned above due the incidents like these in Uttarakhand 1,385.5 hectares (ha) of forest land till May 10 have burnt and turned into ashes. 

• Causes of Forest Fires 

It is going to be astonishing to know about the causes behind such frequent wildfires in Uttarakhand because there is no congruousness in the statements of the forest department and the state government of Uttarakhand. The forest department observes that the reasons for the outbreak of forest fires are out-migration, high-tension wires and the abundance of pine trees whereas the state government has said in the Supreme Court that the fires are completely man-made. Let's try to understand what's the actual root cause behind such incidences through the following points: 

1. The issue of migration causes to leave the region and settle down in some other states in search of a better life. Why a better life? What is poor in hilly reasons? The answer is the hilly reasons are deprived of basic amenities of life like water, and growing food through agriculture, terrain is difficult. No proper facility for major industry so that people can stay here in the state and earn their livelihood. Therefore the region has become barren and an abundance of dry leaves and dry twigs of the trees have surfaced on the land which is quite a good facility to let the fire catch the jungle. 
2. On account of the high tension wires, the forest catches fire because the high tension wires are responsible for carrying high voltage current. Therefore due to overheating the dried inflammable materials catch fire and then gradually the fire turns into a massive and uncontrolled fire. 
3. The forest of Uttarakhand is known for the presence of chir pine trees in quite good numbers, which are highly inflammable. It is one of the main reasons for forest fires. According to the forest department website, Uttarakhand has 3,94,383.84 hectares of chir pine forests. Chir pine trees constitute 15% of the 13 varieties of trees in the State.
4. The younger generations are not aware of how to tackle the situation of forest fires. As it is not taught to them in their academic curriculum and does not educate them about the environment. 
5. The older generations, who are good in numbers but unable to climb the hilltops to control the fire  
6. As time is changing people have stopped collecting wood from the forest to use it as fuel to make food items. Schemes like Ujjawala have promoted the usage of LPG cylinders instead of the usage of dried wood. 
7. Due to the adverse impact of climate change, this year the surface of the jungle has become dry because of less snowfall than usual.
8. If rainfall doesn't come on time in the rainy season wildfires are going on increasing and become relentless and consume everything that comes in its path.
9. Dhananjay Mohan, a charge the Head of the Forest Force in Uttarakhand, says, "In this environment already conducive to fires Forest fires spread quickly when villagers burn stubble in the heads. Villages and forests are interspersed in the State. Forest fires also occur when people leave burnt cigarettes in the forest or set forests on fire to clear the land in the belief that it will boost the growth of fodder." 
10. Swapnil Anirudha, the divisional forest officer posted in Garhwal, mentions his view regarding wildfires in such a manner that "Due to growing wheat cultivation farmers will engage in stubble burning, which when left unattended starts spreading." Another reason is leopard or tiger attacks. "If there is a lot of vegetation, I would be inclined to burn and clear them for better visibility. But burning and leaving the vegetation unattended helps the fire to spread out," he continues. Locals who invest in cattle grazing also believe that burning dry leaves will aid in the quick growth of grass. "In some villages, with no proper roads, the rain makes the tracks slippery. Many decide to set fire to the tracks to clear all the chir pine needles (Uttarakhand is known for its chir pine forests). Another misconception locals have is that the smoke from fires can trigger good rainfall." 

Whenever the forest catches fire, the ecology gets disturbed, and everyone gets affected by it whether it is human beings, animals, birds, or anything else. In addition to this, forest fire causes great financial jolt to the local people. 

If this forest fire keeps on increasing, it will create a more dangerous situation for everyone. On account of that the most important work is to control the forest fire. In the forest of Uttarakhand, there are two sets of people who have the responsibility to tackle the wildfires. The first set of people are none but the Government organisation or institution in the form of the forest department of the concerned jungle, NDRF teams SDRF teams and other departments as well per requirements. 

As per the views of Shiv Rawat, a young forest ranger in Uttarakhand, "It is like a national duty. We have to douse the fires and save our forests. We are the same as the army men deployed on the international border to save the country, with the difference being they have guns to protect the border, and we have a tree branch to beat out the flame," further he mentions in his words, "It is my sixth year of service, and I have never seen such a large number of forest fire complaints."

The second set of people are those who are not authorized to perform the responsibility of putting out the fire but ethically and morally they are doing it, for the sake of safeguarding their source of income they are doing it, in the enticement of a very meagre reward are doing it. There is a group of 300-member group in Sitalkhet called Jungle ke Dost which is headed by Gajendra Pathak who runs a pharmacy in a local healthcare centre and brought these women to an initiative like this where they contribute their hard work to extinguish the fire. Instead of their effort, the women are offered merely a 125-millimeter tetra pack of Frooti. Once Gajendra Pathak, Head of

'Jungle Ke Dost' says, "These women are the reason you see some greenery around. Otherwise, the forest fires would have ruined everything. They risk their lives to save our mountains."

INITIATIVES TAKEN BY THE ADMINISTRATION 

Some steps have been taken by the government to improve the conditions of the local people whose lives are dependent directly or indirectly on the forest or they are contributing to extinguishing the fire of the jungles. Let's strive to comprehend those initiatives which have been taken by the government in the following ways: 

• Pine Tree: 

Gajendra Pathak believes that pine trees are only considered the culprit of wildfires. He opines, "This tree, which hardly needs maintenance, is a major source of timber and fuel wood. Its trunk is used to make furniture. Its leaves are used for decoration. Its bark is a source of charcoal, resin, and coal tar, which are not just used by villagers, but also sold to earn money," he says. "Is there any other tree that gives us so much?" There is no point in raising questions on the utility of their tree or pine tree. 

The chief minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami proclaimed the scheme called Pirul Lao-Paise Pao, bring pine leaves and get money), under which the State purchases pine leaves at the rate of ₹50 per kg, much higher than the 3 per kg, which has been the rate so far.

The State has developed a concept to generate electricity from pine needles. 

• Compensation: 

There is a huge risk in extinguishing the ferocious fires of the jungle. Thus a financial backup was needed, therefore, the government has taken the initiative in the matter. 

After the occurrence of the recent fires, the state government announced insurance over 3 lakhs of rupees for 4,000 contract employees of the forest department.

CHALLENGES IN CONTROLLING THE FOREST FIRES 

There are so many areas of concern in extinguishing the issue of forest fires on which we need to keep our eyes. The case of Uttarakhand is a little special here because Uttarakhand is a mountainous region where there are already so many other issues such as floods, a multitude of devotees visiting religious places, landslides, flash floods, cloud bursting, water management and many more which causing problems whereas the issue of forest fires adds one more in the list of problems of the state. Let's pay our keen attention in trying to develop a comprehension of the issues associated with tackling the issue of wildfires in the following manner: 

• Extinguishing forest fires without losing the lives of the extinguisher is the biggest and the only top work of the people who are associated with it. 
  
• The forest fires are not like normal fires. It is rampant. Pacifying this type of fire is the most difficult task. As there are so many fuelling materials which are assisting to burn more and more. 
  
• During the time of elections, many government officials are indulged in conducting elections. And the forest officers have also admitted that they are working with less working staff.
• Forest departments are working with limited resources. The women of Jungle ke Dost are trying to put out a fire with the branches of the trees. They do not have even the basic types of equipment that will facilitate them the extinguish fire. 
• Due to a lack of job opportunities and poor living standards people are leaving the villages of Uttarakhand and owing to this, there is no one to collect the try leaves and twigs from the forest. Moreover, when people are not dwelling in the forests and are nearby to it then who will inform quickly to the forest department to pacify the wrath of wildfires? 
• There are no teachings in the schools to make them aware of how to tackle the issue of wife fires. This is a major issue if children or youngsters are not aware of how to resolve the issue. 

MEASURES CAN BE TAKEN TO TACKLE THE FOREST FIRE 

Often we have seen that whenever suggestions are asked to resolve any issue both practical and impractical measures are suggested, but, here

when we are talking about the environment and particularly about controlling the forest fire in which humans and the environment both are pivotal, then we need to be very much practical and cautious about that and therefore let's take a look those points which are are practical and necessary. They are given in the following manner: 

• The government should focus on the participation of people or communities at large to diminish wildfires because they dwell there and know the forest and the area much better than the others. 
• The technique of Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) should be adopted in the entire state. Why so? What is that? ANR indicates that low-cost restoration methods are involved towards rejuvenating the devastated land with indigenous species of plants. It involves a range of techniques such as the removal of invasive species, the creation of microsites for establishing seedlings, and the protection of natural regeneration from grazing and other disturbances. As per the perspective of Gajendra Pathak, Head of Jungle ke Dost, "ANR will not even cost half of what the government spends on planting trees. And finally, d what we see of the government's initiative is not even 10% of the total saplings planted." Furthermore, he mentions establishing a fire line across the mountains is crucial to mitigate fires. 
• Awareness and empowerment amongst the local people are extremely necessary. As they are the first who will know and face the wildfires. As Ravi Chopra an environmentalist from Uttarakhand, says, " Nothing can be done to mitigate forest fires unless they empower the local people and take them into confidence." 
• The forest department is running out of a good amount of staff and types of equipment. Thus, it should be ensured from the side of the government to have all the proper types of equipment to put out the fire. 
• The members of organizations like Jungle ke Dost where the maximum participants are women, should be given proper incentives by the government so that they can earn something for their families after taking risks in their lives during extinguishing wildfires. They should also be provided with the proper types of equipment. 
• The government should establish factories that can provide livelihoods to the local people so that they don't migrate which can called dry wood from the jungle and fuelling materials can continuously go down. 
• The government can take the initiative by installing machines that convert dry natural material into manures for the agricultural field. This will benefit two sets of people the people living near to forest and farmers by using organic and natural fertilizers. 
• During the course of rampant wildfires, the assistance of the India Air Force(IAF) should be taken with techniques like Bambi Buckets, so that the minimum catastrophe may take place only. 
• Buffer zones may be created in the major jungles so that during the time of forest fires the amplification of fire can stop automatically. 

SIMILAR INCIDENTS OF WILDFIRES

Uttarakhand is not the only place where these wildfires are visible, it is happening everywhere irrespective of the corner of the country. Therefore, it is significant for us to understand that necessary steps need to be taken to try to control this issue. Let's take a look at two other similar important events which are given in the following manner:

• Nilgiri Hills Fire: 

The Nilgiri Mountains are the glorious beauty of the southern part of India which lies between the state of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It is known for its natural beauty and biodiversity enrichment. The Nilgiris is under threat with an increased incidence of forest fires. Till May 2024, 37 forest fires were recorded. 

Since 2023, more than 90 hectares (the size of approximately 222 football fields) of forests in the Nilgiris division have been affected by fires.

As per the Forest Survey of India’s 2021 report, 45% of India’s total forest cover is set to witness higher temperatures by 2030. 

In the words of N. Mohanraj, a Conservationist, says, “Higher temperatures will invariably lead to more chances of fire breaking out. There needs to be better use of technology and scientific techniques to mitigate the effects of forest fires across the country." 

• Kodaikanal Hills Fire:

Kodaikanal is a town and hill station in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. 

A forest fire has been reported in two ranges of Kodaikanal Hill.

Even as officials from the Department of Forests along with Fire and Rescue Services personnel were fighting the wildfire, the dry weather was helping the fire spread in Poombarai and Mannavannur ranges.

CONCLUSION 

Uttarakhand is the land of sacred temples of Hinduism. It is the land of the first National Park of Asia, Hailey National Park which is now known as Jim Corbett National Park. 

Forest fire is a major issue that government and media houses need to emphasize because it is something that does not only mean just burning the woods. It is taking away the lives of all the people who are dependent on it. It is taking the crops of the farmers, the shelter of animals, increased carbon footprint, the lives of the local people & birds and animals and the lives of firefighters. Therefore, a collective effort is needed from all sides only then will we be able to safeguard the life of the forests and the lives associated with them. 

REFERENCE 

• www.unep.org
• www.cbd.int
• www.britannica.com
• thehindu.com 

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