Uttarakhand news: In summer, as soon as the sun is bright on the hills, the flames of smoke starts to rise from the forests. Sometimes by burning the straw of the field by a farmer, sometimes someone’s burning is burnt with half -baked bidi and sometimes in the greed of green fodder. The government is making a lot of efforts to stop it and is campaigning to make people aware.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is developing the feeling that protecting the forests of Uttarakhand is no longer the responsibility of the forest department – this is the resolve of every woman in the village. For example, women of Kathur village are showing that when the community becomes aware, nature can also be saved. Now there is a need to spread this feeling throughout the state.
The members of Mahila Mangal Dal are engaged day and night to monitor the fire of forests and extinguish it. A member of the party in Chamoli says that whenever there is a fire in the forest around the village, women leave everything, even their young children, they run to extinguish the fire. Just as we worry about our children, the forest is also developing, this feeling is developing. In these forests, small plants, birds’ nests and cubs of wildlife are found.
The Mahila Mangal Dal meets a meeting on the 15th of every month, in which the villagers are made aware not to burn the straw, beware of bidi-cigarettes and cooperate on fire. Those who do not help in extinguishing the fire, the Mahila Mangal Dal also impose a fine on them.
What is Mahila Mangal Dal?
In the villages of Uttarakhand, these parties are an informal group of 12 elected women, but every woman in the village is considered a member of it. These groups play an active role in community functions such as cleanliness and forest conservation. The government gives an incentive of ₹ 4,000 to these parties every month.
Promise of government appreciation and new policy
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also praised women and youth parties at an event held in Dehradun in May 2025. He said that during the disaster, these parties play the role of the first retaliation in the villages. The Chief Minister also announced that soon a loan aid policy will be introduced to make these groups self -sufficient.
Fire in forests: figures worrying
According to the Forest Survey India report, 750 Vanagni alerts were issued in Uttarakhand between November and June in 2019-20, which increased to 21,000 in 2023-24-ie, 28 times the increase in five years.
In 2024, Uttarakhand finished first in the forests in the country, while Himachal Pradesh came from 24th to 8th place. In the same year, 12 people died due to forest fire in Uttarakhand, of which 6 were employees of the forest department.
Why are fire incidents increasing?
Global temperature rises 1.5 ° C for the first time in 2024. The Himalayan region is particularly affected. Due to black carbon, its level was found to be 400 times higher than winter near Gangotri Glacier due to black carbon. These black particles heat the ice and accelerate the melting speed.
Why protection is necessary for forests?
66% of the area in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand is forest. Trees and plants like rip, burhan, cedar, kafal, finger and pangar are found here. Also, important glaciers like Nanda Devi, Satopanth and Chaukhambha are also here.
Government’s new strategy
After the horrific forests of 2024, the state government has changed its strategy. Now emphasis is being laid on technical solutions as well as participation of village communities and local institutions, so that this fight can become a collective effort.