IAF Choppers Deployed, Boating Halted: What Led to Massive Forest Fire in Nainital

Dehradun: As forest fires continue to rage in Uttarakhand on Saturday, the Army and the Air Force have been roped in to assist in dousing operations.

Visuals have emerged on social media platform X where the Army chopper can be seen collecting water from Naini Lake to sprinkle on the fire-affected areas.

An IAF Mi-17 helicopter was seen carrying water from Bhimtal Lake to control the fire in Nainital which was raging for more than 36 hours.

Boating Banned in Naini Lake

Meanwhile, boating has been banned in Naini Lake due to fire. The fires are believed to have destroyed 33.34 hectares of forest land. 
On the same day when the the fire became severe on Friday, three people were arrested in Rudraprayag while they were trying to set fire to the forests.
The state has witnessed as many as 31 new incidents of forest fire in the past 24 hours. 

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has taken cognizance of the fires and said that efforts are underway on war footing to bring the situation under control. 

In a post on X, he wrote, “The government is working with full readiness to control the incidents of forest fire in the state. With the help of the army, the work of extinguishing the fire is also going on through helicopters. Strict action will be taken against any unruly elements who are caught setting fire to the forests(sic).”

The Chief Minister is closely monitoring the dousing operations. He said strict actions will be taken against the those who will be found setting forests on fire.

According to sources, a sheep herder of Tadiyaal village of Jakholi was caught from the spot while setting a fire in the forest. During interrogation, it was revealed that he set the forest on fire  to grow new grass for grazing his sheep.

What causes forest fires?

• The forest fires which rages on in simmers are driven by dry conditions and strong winds. The blaze also threatens the flora and fauna, engulfing huge areas.
• The wildfires can also be a result of rising temperatures. The strong winds that drive the fierce fires created a haze, making it suffocating for the people nearby areas.
• Certain human actions such as slash-and-burn agriculture, in which farmers clear land by setting fire to bushes and trees also spark fires in forest.