The Army and Indian Air Force have been roped into the firefighting operations in Uttarakhand, as thousands of hectares of its forests continue to burn. The Indian Air Force deployed an Mi-17 helicopter that will carry an 11-member team to douse the fires and survey the situation. Three companies of the National Disaster Force were deployed on Saturday to join the thousands of police personnel along with NGOs and volunteers who have been trying to control the blaze.
The NDRF teams were stationed at Almora, Pauri and Gauchar districts, while Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh and Nainital are also badly affected. The Mi-17 chopper will use “Bambi buckets” to lift water from the Bhimtal lake and sprinkle it on the trees.
According to the Principal Conservator of Forest (Research) BP Gupta, at least six people have died and seven have been injured because of the fires, which have spread over more than 1890 hectares. The forest department website will have information on possible fire points that could emerge over the next seven days, and locals have been asked to report any incidents to district magistrates.
The Prime Minister’s Office and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has assured the state of relief and asked for information on the crisis. Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul is overseeing the operations and has allocated Rs 5 crore for immediate needs. The director of Delhi's fire department is expected to visit the state on Sunday.
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