Why are forest fires a concern for India? Maps explain
Patches of forest burned in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as temperatures shot up beginning in April, destroying properties worth crores, killing wild animals, and filling the air with smoke for days in several tourist areas. Odisha ranked second with 1,866 fire incidents, Andhra Pradesh came third with 1,788 fires, Maharashtra had 1,493, and Chhattisgarh reported 1,330 fires in forest areas during the same period. Hamirpur, Kangra, Una, Solan, and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh have been the most affected by forest fires in the last five years, according to MODIS data visualised by India Today. HIGH COST At least five people were killed in the raging forest fires in Uttarakhand, state government officials said last month. As per the Forest Survey of India, 54.4 per cent of India’s forests are exposed to occasional fires, 7.4 per cent to moderately frequent fires, and 2.4 per cent to high incidence levels.
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