Uttarakhand: IAF helicopter continues to aid firefighting operations in forests

Dehradun: An IAF helicopter on Tuesday continued to aid firefighting operations in Uttarakhand where 68 live forest fire incidents were reported from different parts of the state gutting more than 100 hectares of green cover, officials said.

The IAF helicopter, which was pressed into service on Monday to douse the flames, lifted water from the Alaknanda river in a 5000 litre Bambi bucket and emptied it over the burning forests of Pauri district, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Swapnil Anirudh said.

Around five such sorties were conducted on Tuesday, he said.

Anirudh said the aerial firefighting will continue in the district until the situation improves.

Additional Chief Conservator of Forests Nishant Verma said since November 1 last year, there have been 998 forest fire incidents in Uttarakhand in which more than 1,316 hectares of forest land were affected.

The farmers were asked not to burn stubble and resort to alternative ways of agricultural waste management.

An order issued by Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said that stern action will be taken against people, who violate the order as burning of stubble or agricultural waste might lead to forest fires.