Forest fires in Uttarakhand spread to populated regions

Dehradun: The tourism industry's entrepreneurs are starting to feel the effects of the flames that are burning in the forests surrounding Nainital City. After being informed about the existing state of hotels in Nainital and Bhawali, some 250 tourists from different parts of the nation have opted to cancel their reservations for the summer vacation.

Wildfires have been raging in the forests around Nainital city for a few days now. Helicopters from the army have been requested to assist in putting out the fires. Because of this, travellers are cancelling their advance reservations after learning about it on social media and through other sources, the New Indian Express reported.

According to information gathered, the flames have resulted in the cancellation of more than 250 reservations in just two days. More than seventy per cent of these reservations were already made for the month of May.

In the meantime, 300 forest workers and 300 fire watchers in the Nainital division are keeping a close eye on the ongoing fire incidents. The team is working together to try to contain the fire.

The president of the Nainital Hotel and Restaurant Association, Digvijay Singh Bisht, voiced concerns about how the forest fires in Nainital will affect tourism.

“The tourists from various regions of the country have been inquiring about the situation and some are hastily cancelling their advance bookings,” said Bisht. Around 250 bookings of hotels in Nainital and nearby Bhauwali and Bhimtal areas have been cancelled.

“The government and local administration should provide accurate information through a bulletin to ensure that tourists can make informed decisions about visiting the area during the upcoming tourist season, and these steps will prove effective and sustain the influx of tourists,” elaborated Bisht, president of the hotel association. “Failure to do so could severely impact the tourism industry in Nainital.”

Speaking to this newspaper, Divisional Forest Officer Chandrashekhar Joshi said, “Multiple forest fires occurred in the Nainital division, all of which have now been contained. Presently, there is only one fire in the Maheshkhan area, and efforts are underway to control it.” Joshi reassured, “The overall situation in Nainital is stable. A total of 300 forest personnel and 300 fire watchers are vigilantly monitoring any potential fire incidents within the division.”

Staff from the fire brigade arrived at Nasul hamlet in Siloni village under the command of in-charge Narendra Prasad. Using Multi-Port Fuel Injection (MFI) pumping, the fire department successfully contained the fire at the houses of Khilanand and Devendra Joshi after responding promptly to the incident.