Source: X
Guwahati, April 27: A devastating forest fire in Uttarakhand's Nainital district has escalated, with flames encroaching upon the High Court Colony on Friday night. The inferno, which has been raging for over 36 hours, has wreaked havoc across the region, prompting urgent intervention from authorities.
In the past 24 hours alone, 31 new incidents of forest fires have been reported from various parts of the state, resulting in the destruction of approximately 33.34 hectares of forest land. Three individuals were arrested in Rudraprayag on Friday while trying to set fire to the forests.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has asked the officials to remain on alert and take measures to prevent the fires by coordinating with all departments.
The fire, initially sparked near the district headquarters of Nainital, is now posing a significant threat to the residents of the High Court Colony nestled within the Pines area. The relentless advance of the flames has also disrupted traffic flow in the vicinity.
In response to the escalating emergency, the forest department in Nainital has roped in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army in their firefighting endeavours. Helicopters have been deployed by the district administration to in the fire-fighting operations.
Forest officials attribute the recurrent occurrence of forest fires to seasonal factors, exacerbated by rising temperatures and dry conditions.
