Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has expressed grave concern regarding the petition filed concerning the ongoing forest fires in Uttarakhand. Directing the Uttarakhand government to submit a status report in the forthcoming hearing, the court emphasized that artificial rainfall is not a viable solution and urged immediate action. The next hearing is scheduled for May 15, with instructions given to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to furnish documents to both parties.
Petitioner and senior lawyer Rajeev Dutta accused the state government of negligence, highlighting the extensive damage caused by the fires. Dutta asserted that the situation has garnered international attention, with five reported fatalities and 398 fire incidents, resulting in 62 registered FIRs. Calling for a national forest fire policy, Dutta questioned the prevalence of fires in Uttarakhand, attributing them to large-scale contracts and the flammability of trees used in paint production. He underscored the government’s role in facilitating such activities, alleging a pattern of clearing forests through deliberate fires followed by land use changes.
Meanwhile, efforts to combat the fires continue, with the Indian Air Force conducting operations in collaboration with the Uttarakhand Forest Department. Eight individuals have been arrested for attempted arson, while a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has been dispatched to Haldwani at the request of the Nainital district administration.
Forest officials are intensifying firefighting efforts across affected regions, including Haldwani, Nainital, and Champawat forest divisions. In the past 24 hours, eight new fire incidents have been reported, impacting 11.75 hectares of forest land. Since November 1 of the previous year, the state has witnessed 575 forest fire incidents, affecting 689.89 hectares of land and resulting in a loss exceeding Rs 14 lakh.
Numerous villages surrounding Nainital, such as Bladiyakhan, Jeolikot, Mangoli, Khurpatal, Devidhura, Bhawali, Pinas, Bhimtal, and Mukteshwar, have borne the brunt of the fires, exacerbating the situation.
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