From November 1 last year till now, a total of 575 incidents of forest fire have been reported in Uttarakhand
An IAF chopper on Saturday collected water from Bhimtal Lake to douse forest fires in Uttarakhand.
ANI news agency shared a video showing an Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter taking water from Bhimtal as several hectares of forest in the Uttarakhand region has been gripped in the fire.
The Uttarakhand government has roped in the Indian Army and IAF in controlling the fire in Nainital and other nearby regions.
On IAF chopper dousing the forest fires, Nainital Municipal Corporation Executive Officer Rahul Anand said, “Fire is reported in Nainital in many places, including very close to the Air Force Station in the district. The main purpose of bringing in helicopters to douse the fire was to keep the Air Force Station safe… The situation is under control now. Efforts are continuing.”
The district administration has banned boating in Naini Lake because of the blaze.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has acknowledged the severity and said he would be holding a meeting with the stakeholders in Haldwani on Saturday.
“The forest fires are a challenge for us. This is a big fire. We are working for all the essential needs. We have asked for help from the Army… I am going to conduct a meeting in Haldwani today. We have conducted a meeting in Dehradun also regarding this. We will try to control the fire as soon as possible,” Dhami said.