Death toll in Himachal forest fires rises to nine as 11,000 ground workers battle to subdue the flames
In spite of moderate rain in some parts of Himachal Pradesh, forest fires continued to rage in the lower hills, with 60 more breaking out since yesterday.
The total number of ground fires in the state has risen to 614, and an area of about 6,600 hectares has been affected, Forest Department officials said.
The National Green Tribunal today sought responses from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the governments of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh on the issue of forest fires raging in both the states.
Deadly: A forest is seen on fire near the northern hill town of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh
Forest rangers try to put out a blaze. The total number of forest fires in the state has hit 614, officials said.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also issued a notice to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), asking it to file its response in the matter by May 10, the next date of hearing.
The tribunal had issued a show-cause notice to both states yesterday, observing that it was shocked that everybody was taking the issue so casually.
A long-awaited spell of showers lashed most parts of Uttarakhand today, supplementing fire dousing operations across the state. However, two more deaths were reported from Nainital, taking the overall death toll to nine.
Rains which started on Tuesday evening in the higher reaches of the mountains hit the plains overnight, drenching the forests and buttressing efforts by the agencies engaged in a massive firefighting exercise.
Over 11,000 personnel are at work on the ground in the state.
However, rains doused the fires raging in forests in surrounding areas of Kasauli and Shimla, and normalcy had been restored.
The forest department has stepped up its vigil in wooded areas, and fire watchers have been asked to remain alert and report fires to officials immediately.