Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 8: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the central and state governments, along with multiple statutory authorities, in response to a plea seeking robust measures to tackle the surge in forest fires across India.

A bench led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, with Expert Member Dr A. Senthil Vel, heard the application highlighting the “rapid and alarming” rise in forest fires, particularly in ecologically sensitive zones such as the Himalayas and Western Ghats.

The petitioner urged the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to submit a time-bound status report on the implementation of the National Action Plan on Forest Fires, functioning of national fire alert and control systems, and utilisation of funds under forest fire prevention schemes.

The plea also called for a nationwide fire-risk governance framework, including scientific fire-risk zonation, priority-based seasonal action plans, and a standardised operating procedure for fire prevention, detection, response, and post-fire restoration.

It proposed strengthening state-level preparedness through maintenance of fire lines and watchtowers, deployment of trained fire watchers and rapid response teams, use of modern firefighting equipment and surveillance technologies, and district-level forest fire crisis management mechanisms.

The applicant highlighted the environmental consequences of forest fires, including biodiversity loss, damage to carbon sinks, soil degradation, watershed disruption, air pollution, and heightened climate vulnerability.

Recent incidents cited in the plea include fires along Himachal Pradesh’s Triund trekking route, early forest fires in the Western Ghats, and Uttarakhand fires amid dry winter conditions. Data obtained via RTI showed Maharashtra recorded 8,091 forest fire cases between January and September 2025, a 56% increase from 2024, with hotspots in Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, and Amravati.

Senior counsel Kunal Tandon, representing the petitioner, stressed that despite NGT directions in 2019, implementation at the ground level remains inadequate. He also pointed to the National Forest Fire Management Project’s framework to highlight gaps in execution.

The Tribunal directed the petitioner to serve copies of the plea and file an affidavit of service at least one week before the next hearing, which is scheduled for April 23, 2026.