Fires break out in Himachal and J&K forests, Rajnath says Uttarakhand flames under control
While Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the fires in Uttarakhand were now under control, the blazes had destroyed nearly 3,000 acres of forest cover in Uttarakhand.
After wreaking havoc in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, incidents of forest fire were reported from areas of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district today.
While Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the fires in Uttarakhand were now under control, the blazes had destroyed nearly 3,000 acres of forest cover in Uttarakhand. Another 50 hectares of green cover was lost in Himachal Pradesh. Two Indian Air Force Mi-17 choppers on Sunday flew several sorties in Nainital district, sprinkling water lifted from a lake to douse the raging fires.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh had on Sunday reviewed the situation in Uttarakhand and held discussions with chief secretary and other officials of the state government. Earlier, the government has decided to press in two Mi-17 helicopters into service while NDRF, SDRF and even Army personnel struggled to douse the flames.
In Himachal, raging fires burnt both sides of the UNESCO world heritage track near Dharampur. Trains were halted for some time as burning wood and stones fell on the track.
The worst hit areas in Himachal include popular tourist attractions like Solan, Sirmour, Shimla and Mandi. A rare oak forest was gutted in fire in Shimla.
The NDRF on Sunday said that fires in 70 per cent of the areas have been doused, as the Army, the Air Force, 3 teams of NDRF and 6,000 firefighters were working round the clock to save the forests.
Here are the latest developments:
- After Uttarakhand and Himachal, forest fires reported from Bathuni and Gambhir in Rajouri, J&K.
- Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed Uttarakhand situation, offered Central aid.
- Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said that Centre taking the fires very seriously and making all efforts to control it.
- Uttarakhand fires burning for nearly 3 months. Have destroyed close to 3,000 acres of forest cover so far.
- In the last one month alone, around 1,200 fires have broken out in the state, Javadekar said.
- Two IAF Mi-17 helicopters carrying water from Bhimtal lake and help douse the flames.
- Pauri, Nainital, Rudraprayag and Tehri are among the worst-hit districts.
- Forest officials suspect the fires could be a man-made. Several arrests made.
- The Congress has attacked the Centre, accusing the government of reacting too late.
- In Himachal, both sides of the UNESCO world heritage track near Dharampur gutted.
- Worst hit areas in HP include popular tourist attractions like Solan, Sirmour, Shimla and Mandi.
- A rare oak forest was gutted in fire in Shimla.