Massive Forest Fire Rages In Nanda Devi National Park, Chamoli DM Seeks IAF Help

Chamoli: A massive forest fire has been raging in the Joshimath development block of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand for the past five days. The fire has been located in the forests of Bhiyudhar near Govindghat in the Nanda Devi National Park forest division area. A thick cloud of smoke has spread across the entire region. Valuable forest resources worth crores of rupees are being reduced to ashes by the fire.

District Magistrate, Chamoli, Gaurav Kumar has written to the Disaster Management Secretary seeking assistance from the Indian Air Force to help extinguish the fire in the Bhiyudhar forests.

The District Magistrate stated in the letter that a massive fire has been raging for the past five days in the forests of Bhiyudhar, under the Nanda Devi National Park forest division area of ​​Chamoli district. The fire has destroyed valuable forest resources and medicinal plants.

Meanwhile, Chetna Kandpal, Ranger, Nanda Devi National Park, said, “The fire is raging in the hills between the Lakshman Ganga and Alaknanda rivers. Due to the steep slopes, it is difficult for forest personnel to reach the area."

Despite limited resources, forest department teams are engaged in relief and firefighting operations on a war footing and are continuously striving to prevent the fire from spreading further. Strong winds have helped spread the fire rapidly, making it extremely challenging to control.

While heavy snowfall is common in the high Himalayan regions during January, due to the worsening environmental imbalance, forest fires are also being recorded. This has caused concern among environmentalists and nature lovers. The latest images of the fire have emerged from Joshimath in Chamoli district.

Amidst the harsh winter conditions in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, incidents causing significant environmental damage are occurring. This has caused concern among environmentalists and nature lovers.

Along with this, the existence of rare wildlife, medicinal plants and the rich biodiversity found in the area is also under serious threat. There are fears that the continuously spreading fire will disrupt the environmental balance. Despite the challenging geographical conditions, forest department teams are working to control the situation. The forest department has constructed an alternative temporary bridge over the river to reach the fire-affected areas and expedite firefighting efforts.

Another incident has also come to light. A massive fire broke out in the forest near Nursing College, Patialdhar. However, due to the timely intervention and quick response of the Gopeshwar fire station and the police, the fire was brought under control, averting a major disaster.