Fires under control, rain poses landslide threat

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, May 4

Most of the forest fires raging in the state have been doused due to slight rain and human efforts. But scientists are now worried about the possibility of massive landslides during monsoon and pre-monsoon rain this year.

Soil scientists said the danger of landslides was more during the rainy season that succeeds fires. “The burning of vegetation and layers of the soil renders the soil weak, which leads to landslides when heavy or medium rain happens,” said Dr RK Singh, a soil scientist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Champawat district.

He said most of the forest fires had taken place in pine forests this year, which are situated in sloppy terrain. When the monsoon lashes these sloppy terrain, these are bound to slide as the vegetation grip has become weak.

Pithoragarh district disaster management officer RS Rana said the large-scale forest burning witnessed this year could become fatal for people residing by the rivers as ash collected in jungles would flow towards the rivers, making them change their course or exerting pressure on the banks to slide.

“We will have to arrange for proper channeling of rainwater towards and from these rivers before the pre-monsoon rain begins in the state,” Rana said.

Iqbal Ahmed, a progressive farmer in Mostamanu locality of the district, has written to Governor KK Paul that new saplings be planted in the forests where fires have caused huge damage as mostly oak forests have been damaged this year. “It would take over 10 years to recover this forest, even if the plantation gets done with immediate effect,” Iqbal Ahmed has said in the letter.

Plan to involve villagers in protection of forests

Forest panchayats in the Kumaon region have played a major role in saving forests from fire. The authorities concerned are mulling involving villagers in forest preservation in other areas.

“The damages of forest fires are less in panchayat areas while reserved forests suffer the major loss. We need to involve villagers in forest protection to avoid such incidents in the future,” said BP Gupta, Chief Conservator of Forest.

According to information from the Forest Department of Kumaon region, while about 330 cases of forest fire have been reported in the reserved and protected area, the number stands at 130 in panchayat areas.

“While more than 800 hectares of forest area has been destroyed till date, forest fires in 133 of 5,811 panchayat forests in five districts of the Kumaon region have been doused, causing minimum damage to the forest wealth,” said a Forest Department officer.

According to villagers, the Forest Department does not take effective measures to douse flames. “We are guarding our panchayat forests. The fire can come from the government forest as there is no one to douse flames,” said Bhagwan Singh, a resident of Rawalgaon village of Pithoragarh district.