Dr Rajan Kotru
It is rather bizarre that even after 150 or more years of modern forest management while our foresters proudly quote German Botanist, Dr Brandis, as God-father of India’s modern forestry that we are dealing with a disaster that does neither come from the God’s Hand as late football legend Maradona would have put it nor the ghost of climate change but from human hand. Our foresters claim rightly that over 90% of such fires are manmade. In 2024, in the state where glorious Indian Modern Forestry heritage chapter began our management of forests gradually is turning inglorious. In Uttarakhand hundreds of hectares are hit by forest fires, people have died, and loss of wildlife is not known. Simultaneously, unaccounted loss of forest ecosystem services ingrained as water security, biodiversity, forest-based livelihood, and finally local economy as tourists stay away needs no estimation. Several forest fires were spotted in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2024 according to the NASA FIRMS’ satellite images. Even this year a massive forest fire engulfed Trikuta hills in late winter and now Poonch and Rajouri provinces are burning. Himachal Pradesh is following the suite on similar lines as forest fires are ravaging Shiwalik and Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra district. Only few years back Himachal’s loss due to forest fires was pegged at Rs. 16739692. Thus, the entire western Himalayan landscape is under seize. Experts explain that dry weather and less humidity are the triggers for the disaster. Whereas foresters are sandwiched between conservation focus and pressure of organising local community to joint forest management, human resource starved department in mountain states is in a fix. While country is prioritizing solar energy as way forward to reduce Green House Gas emissions, forests are getting a raw deal. We like comparison between solar energy and afforestation in mitigating climate change by concluding that former outperforms afforestation over fifty times than forests. How much carbon dioxide is pumped into the sky along with rise of local temperatures and spewing of black carbon to higher layers of atmosphere, is unknown. Often lots of it settles on glaciers and melting these faster, thus preparing for other set of disasters such as Glacial Lake Outburst Floods, that have potential to bring human, ecosystem and economic miseries.
To douse the forest fires, further costs are created by measures such as IAF choppers raining water sorties or deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). It is unparalleled across the world that the problem that needs to be solved by proactive forest management that our highest platform of judiciary “Supreme Court” gets approached for every bout of “Bad Cold” and it has to tell foresters what we need to do. Year after year, forest fires are degrading our productive mountain landscape’s “Cumulative Ecosystem Services” originating mostly in pine forests, which have attained the status of “Human Soul/Atma”. Fire can’t burn it, grazing can’t cut it and water can’t drench it (Adapted from Bhagwat Geeta). Unfortunately, we have not assessed the impacts of Supreme court’s decision of “Banning Green Felling”. Obviously supreme court cannot be sued on this questionable decision. Today we must ask: If our forest management is on modern lines and the above ban has led to better forest management then why are forests burning. Few assumptions are elaborated. If, Joint Forest Management (JFM) concept -our citadel for engaging with local communities for managing forest since early 1990s- is effective then why should forest burn, after all JFM or Van Panchayat idea (in Uttarakhand) were meant to sensitize and empower local communities to protect forest because their livelihoods and other ecosystem services depend on it. Is it that local communities have very limited benefits especially from pine forests that their protection is perceived as “Sarkari Kaam” rather than they going out to prevent fires. Is local community’s perception that torching of forests will increase grass production in Pine forests -utterly doubtful- as undergrowth of these forests is mostly infested with invasive species and anyway most of the upper soil, plant biodiversity if any, and loose needles are first reduced to ash and then get washed away during early heavy monsoon rainfall. Even ideas such as pine needles can be used for different economic (Biofuel, handicraft) or conservation activities (check dams), then why we could not scale it up. We also don’t know how much of pine needles we need to remove prior to fire season, so that nutrient deficiency doesn’t further degrade forest ecosystem services. Most of pine forests have limited natural regeneration underneath so when they get old what will replace these except few pines. What we don’t use, we loose. With no proactive forest management since the times of the above-mentioned ban, many foresters claim that even skills and knowledge of younger frontline staff to control forest fires have faded away apart from numerous other factors (e.g., limited funds, funds not coming on time, fire-fighting equipment not onsite, limited skills to mobilise local communities etc.). Hence we must till the next fire season rethink: “How to revamp forest management in the Himalayas”. Apart from others, it is time that we set a target of transforming pine forest area into a 60% (Pine):40% (Broadleaf) mixed forest by 2047; We must work to promote natural regeneration rather than only plantations; We must use remote sensing technology in much more effective way; We must ensure that funds to prepare fire lines and other fire control measures well in advance, We must promote water reservoirs during winter rains within forests e.g., from Amrit Sarovar to Van Sarovar; We must adopt innovative communication strategy to sensitise local communities on the disasterous consequences forest fires will have; and We must incentivise local communities those demonstrably control forest fires. However, it is also time to have performance-based assessment and incentivisation of forest staff. It needs no prophecy that, we will lose ecosystem services forests provide us, such as regulated water flow. We will negate the impact of alternative energy to reduce emissions and sequestering of carbon dioxide by forests. We will lose biodiversity that brings landscape’s aesthetics to fore (Birds, wildlife, natural regeneration of rare species) that feeds (edible wild products) and supports local economy (Medicinal plants) to millions, and warm the microclimate sooner than later. We will finally put India’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goals, Carbon sequestration, Biodiversity Conservation Targets etc. in jeopardy. Do we want to let it happen? The answer is a “Big No”.
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