The Supreme Court said Today (May 6th) it will hear on May 8 a plea on forest fires in Uttarakhand where 910 such incidents have occurred since November 1 last year damaging forests in about 1145 hectares.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today scheduled a hearing on May 8 for a plea concerning the rampant forest fires in Uttarakhand, where 910 such incidents have occurred since November 1 of last year, damaging forests across approximately 1145 hectares.
The matter came up for hearing before a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta. An advocate, who filed an application for impleadment in the matter, highlighted that almost 44 percent of forests in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand were burning. The biggest shock, the advocate stated, was that 90 percent of these fires were man-made.
The advocate passionately said,
“I am telling your lordships something which is shocking. It’s all carbon flying all over the place. The biggest shock is 90 per cent of it is man-made, even today’s report are absolutely sad… 44 per cent (forest) of Kumaon is burning.”
In response, the bench asked,
“You said 44 per cent under fire?”
The advocate confirmed this, emphasizing that the whole area is covered with pine trees.
The bench then posted the matter for hearing on May 8.
The counsel representing Uttarakhand sought the court’s permission to file a status report on the current situation.
During a prior hearing in 2019, the apex court had remarked that forest fires pose a serious problem in hill states, especially during summer, primarily due to the large presence of highly flammable pine trees in most areas.
The court was hearing a plea by advocate Rituparn Uniyal, who sought urgent steps to protect forests, wildlife, and birds from wildfires in Uttarakhand. The plea noted that these blazes have increased over the years, causing massive damage to the environment.
The petition sought directions to the Centre, the Uttarakhand government, and the principal chief conservator of forests in the state to make pre-fire arrangements and to frame a policy to prevent forest fires.
“Forest fires in Uttarakhand have been a regular and historic feature. Every year, forest fires in Uttarakhand cause great loss to the forest ecosystem, diversity of flora and fauna, and economic wealth. Forest fire is one of the major disasters in the forests of Uttarakhand,”
–the plea stated.
The petition also highlighted the importance of forest and wildlife, noting that they are crucial natural resources that play a significant role in human life and the environment. It stated,
“Forests are socially and environmentally interlinked with the people in the hilly areas, and play an important role in the economic welfare and development of the region.”
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Uttarakhand Forest Fires
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