Massive Forest Fire erupts is Sariska Tiger Reserve

[GS Paper 3 – Environmental Pollution and Degradation]

Huge fire breaks out in Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. Tropical dry forests are fire prone because they contain high fuel. This time the fire has spread from the top of the hill. The main concern in a 3-4 square kilometer area was for a mother and her two cubs.

Key Highlights

• A massive fire broke out in Sariska Tiger Reserve.

• The Disaster Management team, Forest department, and the Indian Air Force along with the local people have been deployed in the fire extinguishing process.

• An area of 8-10 sq km in the Akbarpur range has been affected. Akbarpur range is the core tiger habitat.

Forest Fires in India

• In India, forest fires are most commonly reported during March and April, when the ground has large quantities of dry wood, logs, dead leaves, stumps, dry grass and weeds that can make forests easily go up in flames if there is a trigger.

• Forest fires can have multiple adverse effects on the forest cover, soil, tree growth, vegetation, and the overall flora and fauna.

• Fires render several hectares of forest useless and leave behind ash, making it unfit for any vegetation growth.

• Heat generated during the fire destroys animal habitats:

1. Soil quality decreases with the alteration in their compositions.
2. Soil moisture and fertility, too, is affected.
3. Forests can shrink in size.
4. The trees that survive fire often remain stunted and growth is severely affected.

Efforts to Mitigate Forest Fires:

• Since 2004, the FSI (Forest Survey of India) developed the Forest Fire Alert System to monitor forest fires in real time.

• In its advanced version launched in January 2019, the system now uses satellite information gathered from NASA and ISRO.

• National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF) 2018 and Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme.

About Sariska Tiger Reserve

• It is located in the Aravalli Ranges and a part of Alwar, Rajasthan, and is a part of the Khathiar-gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.

• It is a tiger reserve and is famous for Royal Bengal Tiger

• In 1955, it was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary, and later in 1978, it was declared a tiger reserve.

• It was made a part of India’s Project Tiger in 1978. It was declared to be the first reserve in the globe that has successfully relocated tigers.

• The reserve has an area of 190 square miles. It is home to the rich diversity of flora and fauna.

• The immensely rich fauna and bird population include: Leopards, Royal Bengal Tiger, Sambar, Chital, Indian peafowl, Crested Serpent Eagles, Sand Grouse, Great Indian Horned Owls, Golden-backed woodpeckers, Tree pies, Vultures.

• The reserve is embedded with temples, forts, and a palace counting Kankarwadi Fort as one. The tiger population has increased to 25 this year.

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