Manali: Come winters and the annual incidents of forest fires have started in kullu Valley. In the latest incident to this series, for the past three days the forest area of Badagarh at Manali is witnessing a huge forest fire.
Such is the intensity of the fire that the residents of adjoining villages of Jaindi & Badi are struggling hard along with the forest & fire officials to put out the fire.
According to sources, hundreds of valuable trees apart from precious flora & fauna have been destroyed in this fire. The local villagers blame the forest fire incidents on the ‘forest mafia’.
According to Dr. JC Kuniyal, scientist at J.B.Pant Institute Bajaura the forest fires increases the harmful aerosols in the air and the exodus of Carbon Monoxide & Sulphur Dioxide increases the temperature resulting in the faster receding of Himalayan glaciers.
He also added that sometimes villagers intentionally make forest fires to have new grazing pastures or to attract clouds for rains which scientifically are wrong reasons. He also appealed to forest department to educate people about these false beliefs and to protect their forest wealth.
Sanjay Dutta, an engineer by qualification but is a journalist by choice.
He has worked for the premier new agency Press Trust of India and leading English daily Indian Express.
With more than a decade of experience, he has been highlighting issues related to environment, tourism and other aspects affecting mountain ecology.
Sanjay Dutta lives in a village close to Manali in Kullu valley of Himachal.
