It has been three months since most of the forests of Uttarakhand are being ravaged by wildfires. Two straight years of drought compounded by unusually high temperatures and winds to fan the flames are likely to have brought these devastating forest fires on. But what remains our biggest concern is the allegations against local timber traders – the suspicion that large areas of forest cover were willfully destroyed by local smugglers and timber merchants. While the nation may by now have lost its sensitivity to some bit of corruption and misdemeanours in almost all walks of life, setting large forestlands in Uttarakhand on fire has very far-reaching consequences.
Ecological Damage in Uttarakhand
- Fire in nearly 1200 spots in the state of Uttarakhand was doused after extensive firefighting work and widespread rainfall. 3,465 hectares of forested land in the state have been demolished.
- Some of the worst affected include: Pauri, Almora, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, and Tehri. Seven lives have been claimed as yet and the damage to flora, fauna, and wildlife is immeasurable.
- Two of India's important national parks, Corbett National Park and Rajaji National Park, are under threat. These are home to the Royal Bengal Tiger and a number of other wildlife species. Apart from destruction of their natural habitat, the fire is posing a number of concerns.
- One of the major fallouts of the wildfire is the generation of "black carbon". Black carbon, which is created by the incomplete combustion of any biomatter and fossil fuels coats the Himalayan glaciers in the region. This makes the glaciers attract more heat and melt faster causing floods in the plains.
- Even as smoke and debris start to make life difficult in Uttarakhand, the next worry is that the fire and death of the region’s animal population may start to pollute the pristine rivers and water sources soon.
- Destruction of grasslands and lack of fodder for the livestock in the area is another worry that is starting to haunt locals.
- The regions worst affected in Uttarakhand are the same regions that are rich in fruit orchards and hold horticultural treasures that will now be lost.
- The loss of income from lack of tourism due to the forest fires is another pressing concern.
Apart from the forest fires reported in Uttarakhand, some 2,422 such incidents have been reported in Chhattisgarh between January and April 2016, 2,349 fires were reported in Odisha, 2,238 forest fires were reported in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, 1,719 fires were reported in the forests of Assam, and 1,638 fires in Maharashtra's forests.
| State | Number of Incidents |
| Chhattisgarh | 2422 |
| Odisha | 2349 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 2238 |
| Assam | 1719 |
| Maharashtra | 1638 |
| Total | 10366 |
