Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a high-level review meeting on Saturday regarding the prevention of forest fires that have been reported from various parts of the state.
The meeting was held in Haldwani, following a massive fire that broke out in the Ladiyakata area of the Nainital Air Force Center on Friday and continued for over 36 hours, sweeping through dense forests in the mountainous region.
Chief Minister Dhami spoke to the media after the meeting and informed that the leaves of all the officers and employees of the forest department have been canceled because of the increasing incidents of forest fires in the region.
In the last 24 hours, numerous incidents of forest fire were reported from various parts of Uttarakhand, destroying hectares of forest land.
The Indian Army was pressed into service as forest fires continued to rage in Uttarakhand, with the Kumaon region being the worst hit.
CM Dhami said on Saturday that the Indian Army and Air Force helicopters are assisting in controlling forest fires in the state that have reached Nainital after raging for over 36 hours and burning several hectares of green cover.
The Chief Minister said that the fire poses a substantial challenge and that all necessary resources are being mobilized to address the situation.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed MI-17 helicopters to assist in the firefighting efforts. These helicopters are pulling water from Nainital Lake to douse the flames, resulting in a temporary halt to boating activities on the lake.
Rahul Anand, Executive Officer of the Nainital Municipal Corporation, explained that safety precautions were to allow the IAF helicopters taken to collect water from Nainital Lake.
The blaze already consumed several hectares of the forested terrain, with the leaping flames yet to be brought under complete control.
According to the official, the IAF choppers conducted aerial surveys over the Nainital, Bhimtal, and Sattal lakes, identifying suitable locations from where it could lift water for the dousing operation.
The choppers, with sacks and buckets hanging by a rope from them, were spraying water over the affected forests surrounding Nainital, until the latest reports.
As per reports, forest fires have become an annual feature and the change in weather conditions resulted in soaring temperatures.
Uttarakhand starts experiencing forest fires in mid-February when the trees shed dry leaves and the soil loses moisture due to a rise in temperature, and this continues until mid-June
