Uttarakhand: Forest fire rages for seventh day in Nanda Devi National Park, dispute over Air Force claim
For the seventh day, forests in Uttarakhand's Nanda Devi National Park continue to burn, posing a major challenge for the Forest Department. While ground teams struggle on steep cliffs, the Air Force's role in firefighting has sparked controversy, even as new fires erupt in other districts.
Chamoli: The forests of Uttarakhand are blazing unusually early this year, a month before the traditional fire season. The fire in Nanda Devi National Park has now entered its seventh day, intensifying the challenge for the Forest Department and threatening biodiversity in the Valley of Flowers and Govindghat ranges.
Two teams of forest personnel are working tirelessly to control the flames moving downstream. However, the fire at the summit remains unextinguished. Officials admit that the steep cliffs make firefighting nearly impossible, and they are waiting for the blaze at the summit to die out naturally.
Adequate manpower to protect green cover in the lower ranges
Forest workers have been deployed in lower areas to prevent the fire from spreading further. Sarvesh Kumar Dubey, Divisional Forest Officer of Kedarnath Wildlife, said that so far, damage assessments show dry trees have burned and collapsed. He added that adequate manpower has been stationed to protect green cover in the lower ranges.
Air Force Helicopter on standby
An MI‑17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force has been stationed at the Jyotirmath Army Complex helipad. Initially, the Forest Department requested Air Force assistance, but after an aerial survey on Wednesday, officials claimed the fire would extinguish on its own. By Thursday, however, the flames had reached dense green trees, raising fresh concerns.
Dispute over Air Force’s claim
The Air Force’s Central Command posted on social media that a helicopter had been deployed to douse the fire in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, sharing photos with the announcement. Forest officials objected, saying the images were not from the affected area and that no water had yet been dropped using Bambi buckets.
Akash Verma, Director of Nanda Devi National Park, spoke directly with the Air Force Wing Commander, requesting removal of the post. Chetna Kandpal, Forest Range Officer leading the firefighting operation, confirmed that no aerial water operations had taken place and personally conveyed objections to Wing Commander Deepak Raheja.
Fires in other districts
The crisis is not limited to Chamoli. A sudden forest fire erupted near Malli village in Jamanakhal area of Pauri, causing significant damage before being controlled by forest teams.
In Varunaavat hills of Uttarkashi, a massive blaze sent plumes of smoke across the region throughout Thursday, raising fears of rockfalls. Meanwhile, in Nijmula valley and Gauna village of Dasoli block in Badrinath Forest Division, forest employees managed to extinguish fires after considerable effort.
Unusual forest fires underline the urgent need for coordinated strategies
The ongoing fire in Nanda Devi National Park highlights the vulnerability of Uttarakhand’s forests, especially in steep Himalayan terrain where firefighting is difficult. With flames reaching green trees and disputes over aerial support, the situation remains critical. Simultaneous fires in Pauri, Varunaavat, and Nijmula valley underline the urgent need for coordinated strategies to protect forest resources and biodiversity.