Forest Fires Spread to Nainital, Boating in Naini Lake Banned

In Short

• Flames reach Nainital’s High Court Colony
• Helicopter deployed to assist firefighting operations
• CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to hold review meeting today

The escalating forest fires in Uttarakhand have now encroached upon Nainital, casting a pall of smoke over the picturesque hill town. As flames reached the High Court Colony area in Nainital, local authorities swiftly responded by seeking assistance from Army personnel to combat the inferno.

To augment firefighting efforts, a helicopter has been deployed, while the district administration has taken the precautionary measure of banning boating activities in Naini Lake.

According to reports, the fire has engulfed an old and vacant house near The Pines area of Nainital. Although there have been no reported damages to the High Court Colony, the fire has approached alarmingly close to residential buildings, raising concerns among residents and officials alike.

Additionally, another blaze has been reported in the forested Lariya Kanta area of Nainital district, resulting in partial damage to an ITI (Industrial Training Institute) building.

The swift spread of wildfires has prompted heightened vigilance among forest authorities, leading to the apprehension of three individuals in Rudraprayag for attempting to set fire to the forests.

Rudraprayag’s Divisional Forest Officer Abhimanyu confirmed the arrests, underscoring the proactive measures undertaken to prevent further devastation.

One of the arrested individuals, Naresh Bhatt from Tadiyaal village of Jakholi, claimed to have ignited the fire to promote the growth of new grass for his sheep to graze, illustrating the complex socio-economic dynamics intertwined with forest management practices in the region.

In response to the escalating crisis, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is slated to convene a review meeting on Saturday to assess the situation and coordinate response efforts.

The surge in forest fire incidents over the past week has resulted in the destruction of approximately 33.34 hectares of forest land, with 31 new incidents reported in the last 24 hours alone.

The impact of the forest fires extends beyond Nainital, affecting several surrounding villages such as Baldiyakhan, Jeolikot, Mangoli, Khurpatal, Devidhura, Bhawali, Pinus, Bhimtal, and Mukteshwar.

As communities grapple with the ongoing crisis, concerted efforts are underway to mitigate the environmental, economic, and social repercussions of the wildfires in Uttarakhand.