Forest fire detections by the Forest Survey of India in Nagaland and across India during the last five fire seasons (November 2019 to June 2024) as per data provided by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on July 25 in Rajya Sabha.
Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 27
Forest fires in Nagaland saw a decline of over 32% during the period from November 2023 to June 2024, compared to November 2022 to June 2023, according to official data.
A total of 2609 forest fires were detected in Nagaland during November 2023 to June 2024, down from 3882 in the November 2022 to June 2023 period, indicating a 32.7% decrease, highlighted the data provided by Union Minister of State (MoS) in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on July 25.
The fires were detected using satellite-mounted sensors operated by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), specifically the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (SNPP). Most forest fires in Nagaland occur during the dry winter season.
As per the data, the November 2020 to June 2021 period reported the highest incidence of forest fires at 4957. It declined to 3471 incidents during the next season. It increased to 3882 during the November 2022 to June 2023 period, before declining in the current season.
Singh noted that forest fires occur annually due to various natural and anthropogenic reasons, including the accumulation of flammable materials such as dry leaves, twigs, and pine needles. He said that most forest fires in the country are ground fires, involving burning of ground vegetation, and the number of incidents varies each year, based on forest vulnerability to fire risk factors.
Country-wide, during the forest fire season from November 2023 to June 2024, FSI detected a total of 2,03,544 forest fires, compared to 2,12,249 in the previous season from November 2022 to June 2023.
Singh also informed that the Ministry has developed a National Action Plan on Forest Fires outlining strategies for prevention and management, and accordingly, several state governments have prepared action plans to address forest fire risks and incidents.
To ensure timely detection and monitoring of forest fires, the FSI has established a satellite-based ‘Forest Fire Monitoring and Alert system’, which disseminates alerts via SMS and email to registered users, he added.
The Ministry supports State governments and Union Territory administrations in preventing and controlling forest fires through financial assistance under the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) – Forest Fire Prevention and Management.
Additionally, a 24×7 Disaster Management Control Room has been established in the Ministry to monitor forest fire incidents nationwide and coordinate with disaster management agencies such as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), State Control Rooms, and the Control Room in the Ministry of Home Affairs for effective management and coordination in controlling forest fires.
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