The ongoing wildfires in California, US, are being extensively reported by the world media.
California and Hawaii are the two states of the US that are most affected by wildfires, resulting in the destruction of forests and structures in the US. Disquieting to note they are states that have equal to or above the 33% or one-third forest cover (Hawaii 42% & California 33%). One third of the land area in the country, or 33%, is the target of forest cover aimed at by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India (MoEFC). North America and Europe have forest coverage between 30% and 40%, whereas India and China have that between 20% and 30%.
Nearly 85 percent of wildfires in the United States are caused by humans. A publication by the Forest Research Institute (FRI) of MoEFC states, “As many as 95% of forest fires are caused by humans. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson”. The Forest Survey of India’s (FSI) website states, “54.40% of forests in India are exposed to occasional fires, 7.49% to moderately frequent fires, and 2.40% to high incidence levels, while 35.71% of India’s forests have not yet been exposed to fires of any real significance”.
Maximum fires in India occur in ‘Open Forests,’ which are lands with tree cover of canopy density between 10% and 40%, followed by ‘Moderate Dense Forests’ that have tree cover of canopy density between 40% and 70%. 'Very Dense Forests' have the lowest incidents of forest fires (FSI). It may be because the very dense forests are far away from human habitations.
In Southern India, “In spite of longer wet seasons and higher moisture regimes, most deciduous forests and semi-evergreen forests in the Western and Eastern Ghats (Southern India) get burnt frequently due to various biotic activities” (FRI). A New Indian Express issue dated 30th July 2024 reported the State of Tamil Nadu “has witnessed a whopping 3,380 incidents of forest fire this year, the highest in the last four years”. According to a senior official of the Tamil Nadu forest department, “There was no rain till April... The whole forest was painted brown. The accumulation of flammable material, such as dry leaves, twigs and mass flowering of bamboo trees in the last couple of years have all contributed to rise in forest fires”.
It is apparent that living within or close to forests has the risk of lives and properties due to wildfires. Auroville, expected to become a model city for the world by its founder, The Mother, presently has a lot of forest areas, and the potential risk from wildfires does not seem to have been given any attention. The Master Plan (2000) of Auroville stipulates that 90% of the Greenbelt area is for “Farming and Forest type uses and recreation, bird & wildlife”. “Auroville has yet to secure over 70% of the land coming under the Green Belt area,” states the Master Plan. More forests than farming seem to have come up in areas of the Green Belt and beyond and more forests than city in the city areas owned by Auroville. It maybe better to review the Master Plan (Perspective: 2025) approved by the then Ministry of HRD in 2001 in light of wildfire risks from forests observed in recent times.
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| A part of the Pacific Palisade neighboured before and after the wildfire (Source: A screengrab from a YouTube video by The Guardian) |