SHIMLA, MARCH 14: The scientists say that the chillates can be used as biofuels. The handicrafts developed from the pine needles reduce risk of forest fires. The controlled burning also reduces danger of major inferno in forests.

Moreover, if we reduce anthropogenic activities in forest, this together with the know-how will go a long way in reducing the cataclysmic forest fires, the scientists say. These measures are crucial as the forest fires take a heavy toll on bio-diversity in the Himalayan region every summer and dry season, they caution.

On the other hand, supplementing scientists, the environment scientists say the collected pine needles can be used in cement plants, brick kilns as alternative fuel. "Forest department has already issued notification,  50 % subsidy upto the extend of 25 lakhs. It has been made compulsory for Cement plants in HP to use alternative fuel at least 2% of the fuel requirement. Briquettes and pellets can be made from pine needles which is less air polluting", said Dr Surinder Shandil, an environment scientist, who retired from the pollution regulator.

As many as 110 stakeholders including scientists, forest officials, NGOs came on board at the virtual training programme at Himalayan Forest Research Institute (HFRI) here in Shimla on Monday ahead of the “summer fire season”. They suggest a combined strategy to prevent the forest fires in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and perhaps the entire Himalayan region in India.   

“The main objective of this awareness programme is to create  awareness about the scientific and technical know-how of  managing and reducing forest fires in the region”, say the HFRI scientists.

From the forests of Chamba and Chopal to  Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand. From Gurez forest region of Jammu and Kashmir to Chilgoza forest of Kinnaur. Every forest burns, bleeding and roasting innumerable species  of flora and even fauna to death every summer season. But all talks and claims of highly bureaucratized top-heavy forest departments in the states remain as a mute spectator to this dance of death in the pine jungles across the region.

What all matters is how quickly local stakeholders respond to the first lightning call of the forest fire the moment it is spotted in the forest to nip it in the bud. The forest department remains sloppy. It has neither “will” nor “trained manpower and equipment” to fight the fire. Every year,  the forest fires  turn into an inferno. The fires consume  dry forest floor flora including pine needles, broken trees, dry leaves, shrubs and the grass that add fuel to the fire in summer months in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand ”.      

The scientists have no exact data on how much loss forest ecosystem suffers due to the forest fires in the Himalayan region. But they estimate it runs into several lakh hectare forest area worth several crores of rupees while loss to biodiversity is unassessable”.       

At today's programme, the scientists cite a slew of new knowhow to mitigate forest fires in the hills.  These novel measures include extraction of natural fibre from pine leaves to mitigate forest fires.  Then they also cite  alternative approaches to Reducing Forest Fires: Promoting Handicrafts from Pine Leaves' and 'Chillates as biofuels: the solution to the wildfires'.

Dr. Aarti Kashyap, Professor, School of Basic Science, IIT, Mandi  cited how chillates  can be used as biofuels which is the solution to the wildfires. There is vast scope for tapping the chillates of the pine jungles  for extracting biofuel, she adds during her talk.   

What is  increasing the  incidence of forest fires in the states?  Dr. S.S. Samant, director, HFRI says that due to increase in various anthropogenic activities, fires are taking place in the forest areas every year. It results in depletion of biodiversity in the region, he adds. 

instead of looking at the pines needles and dry foliage as fire villains in the forests, scientists and NGOs suggest these in fact can be turn into the resources for making  many upmarket consumer products.  "We can make different products by using pine leaves as many NGOs are doing in some pockets in the Shiwaliks in Himachal Pradesh".

They can earn from these products and these should be upscale roping in self-help groups and Mahila mandals and youth clubs and panchayats. Once these are commercialised, reduction of fissile pine needles in forests will lead to reduction of risk of fire.  “The traditional methods being followed by the forest department and the local people should always be used in extinguishing forest fires”, Dr Samant said.

He says  that due to natural and various anthropogenic activities, fires are taking place in the forest areas every year due to which the biodiversity is being depleted. So the management of forest fires is very necessary which can be made possible with the contribution of all the people along with the forest department. Summer season is closing in, all the stakeholders and participants will definitely benefit from what they learn from this programme, Dr Samant says.

Dr Ranjit Kumar, coordinator gave a presentation on 'Impact of Forest Fires on the Ecosystem and its Management: Use of Controlled Burning to Reduce Incidence of Fires in Pine Forests'.  The controlled burning prevents a major inferno in forests areas, he observes. 

Extraction of natural fibre from pine leaves  is a game changer in mitigation of forest fires, says Dr Vineet Kumar, Scientist-G, Division of Chemistry and Bio-Prospecting, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. "Many groups are doing this, more the merrier", he observes.  

Vivek Sharma, In-charge, AADHAAR - An Association for Development, Harmony and Action Research, Dharamsala, Kangra  talks about the alternative approaches to reducing forest fires. He has come out with  a knowhow on how to promote handicrafts from pine leaves. Many groups are doing this making different upmarket consumer products that in turn help earn them good money, he says.

Dr. Samant informs that the Institute also provides research work that Institute carries out on the management of forest fires in Himachal Pradesh and UT of Jammu and Kashmir. The forest fires continue to deplete biodiversity in the Himalayan region even as the talks and programmes on fire- preventing measures abound every year.

Anil Sharma, Chief Forester, Forest Conservation and Fire Control,  Bilaspur, cited  the case of Himachal Pradesh present fire management of Forests.

Former director Great Himalayan National Park, Kullu Dr BS Rana says they have already conducted such activities in GHNP for the members of Biodiversity Conservation Society.

But what ultimately matters is that until villagers and forest dwellers are made real stakeholders in forest management, no amount of research will save the depleting biodiversity. It is local communities, who win or lose in the whole game and research should travel down to them, who are actual actors in in forests.   

(Kuldeep Chauhan is Editor, Himbu Mail).