As forests blaze in Uttarakhand, poor visibility grounds firefighting copters

At least 40 active fires are currently ravaging the forests of Uttarakhand, which has reduced visibility across the eastern part of the state.

The fire in Uttarakhand’s forests continues to rage unabated as the efforts of the state administration prove to be inadequate. Smoke from the multiple forest fires is billowing over the Kumaon region of the state, reducing visibility to almost negligible across the eastern part of the state. Forest fires are a regular occurrence in the state between March and June every year. The forest fires in Uttarakhand generally last till the onset of monsoon in mid-June. Usually, some amount of rainfall occurs during March-end, due to which fallen leaves on the ground absorb moisture, thus keeping fire at bay. But this year, there was no precipitation at all. With dry leaves falling from the trees and rising temperatures of summer, forests catch fires. Any spark can lead to a major fire. However, this year’s forest fires may be the worst since 2016.More than 1,300 forest fires have been reported so far this year, affecting 1,294 hectares of land.