Forest fire on the rise in India, says top forest official

EOI, KOLKATA, MARCH 5, 2023 : The past decade has seen a significant increase in incidents of large and uncontrolled fires in India, says Additional Director General of Forests, Wildlife, of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest in an article titled ‘The rising threat of forest fires: The status of India’s forests” and released by the PIB. The intensity, frequency and spread of forest fires have significantly increased in recent years. Forest fires, which are a leading cause of forest loss, are a key threat to forest ecosystems; not only in India but globally, says the ADG Forests.

These claim lives, damage forests and biodiversity and lead to extensive loss of property and displace large numbers of people in several G20countries. India alone has seen a 10-fold increase in incidences of forest the total forest cover has increased by 1.12 percent, the frequency of forest fires has increased by 52percent. More than 36 percent of the country’s forest cover is estimated to be prone to frequent forest fires and more than 62 percent of the states to high-intensity forest fires. 

Fires affect both the physical and chemical properties of soils, particularly the productive layer; changes in the physical properties lead to loss of productive soil, increased runoff, and lower underground water recharge.

Changes in chemical properties affect the soil’s organic matter and nutrient dynamics. Recurrent fires reduce seed sources, ultimately affecting the regeneration and succession of forest ecosystems. Bivash Ranjan says forest fires can have both a negative as well as a positive impact on ecosystems.

Forest fires have played an important role in shaping the flora and fauna; fires play a key role in keeping the forests healthy, recycling nutrients, aiding in the regeneration of tree species, removing invasive weeds and pathogens, and maintaining habitats.

Occasional fires can help in controlling fuel stocks that may feed larger, more destructive wildfires. 

But, incidences of fires have spun out of control with increasing population growth and the resultant demands on forest resources, to the point where fires no longer sustain forest health. In fact, fires are burning larger areas and fire seasons are becoming longer due to the warming climate. The ADG has called upon the Environment Climate Sustainability Working Group of G 20 to address issues of forest fires to work out meaningful action plans and accelerate ecosystem restoration in areas impacted by forest fires across the G 20 countries Combating a recent forest fire near Rangpo in Sikkim