Nainital Forest Fires: Air Force Conducts Bambi Bucket Ops, Works In Collaboration With Uttarakhand Govt | Visuals

The Indian Air Force deployed Mi-17 V5 helicopter for undertaking Bambi Bucket Ops to control the fast-spreading forest fires in Uttarakhand’s Nainital on Saturday. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami noted that the state government is collaborating with the IAF to stabilise the situation.

“Our government is continuously running a campaign with @IAF_MCC government to control forest fires. Water is being sprayed from helicopters in the forest fire affected areas,” the CM said in a post on X.

“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… We will try to control the fire as soon as possible,” CM Dhami said.

The chief minister also conducted an aerial survey of the damage caused by the forest fires in Nainital on Saturday. He has asked officials to remain on alert and take all measures necessary to prevent the fires by coordinating with all departments.

Taking to X, Dhami said, “An aerial survey of the damage caused by forest fire in Nainital area was conducted. We are continuously working to take strict action against the miscreants who set fire to forests and to control forest fire.”

Forest fires in Uttarakhand became more severe on Friday with flames reaching the High Court Colony in Nainital.

Notably, the fire — that broke out in the forest near the district headquarters —  took a terrifying form, posing a major threat to the residents of the HC colony in the Pines area.

Additionally, in view of the fires, the district administration also banned boating activities in Naini Lake. Nainital Divisional Forest Officer Chandrashekhar Joshi said, “We have deployed 40 Manora Range personnel and two forest rangers to extinguish the fire.”

IAF’s Mi-17 helicopter, in action, took water from the Bhimtal lake for its Bambi Bucket Ops as the Forest Department called for the Defence forces’ help in dousing the fire.

Nainital Municipal Corporation Executive Officer Rahul Anand told news agency ANI, “We received information of IAF helicopters seeking permission to take water from Nainital to douse the fire. To make arrangements, we closed boating in the lake for the day. 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,” Anand added.

In the last 24 hours alone, 31 new incidents of forest fires were reported from various parts of the Himalayan state, destroying 33.34 hectares of forest land. Of these, 26 were reported from the state’s Kumaon region and five occurred in Garhwal region.

Meanwhile, three persons, trying to set fire to the forests, were arrested in Rudraprayag on Friday. They were caught for allegedly starting fire in two separate areas — Jakholi and Rudraprayag.

Sheep herder Naresh Bhatt of Tadiyaal village, Jakholi, was nabbed from the spot while setting a fire in the forest, said Rudraprayag’s Divisonal Forest Officer Abhimanyu.

During interrogation, Bhatt had said that he started the fire to grow new grass for grazing his sheep.

575 Fire Incidents In 5 Months

As many as 575 incidents of forest fires were reported in Uttarakhand from November 1, 2023 till now, affecting 689.89 hectares of forest area. These incidents costed the state more than Rs 14 lakh.

The district-wise analysis of forest fire frequency showed that Nainital recorded the maximum forest fire incidents during the period between February and April this year. This is approximately five times more than the previous year’s count, followed by Champawat, Almora, Pauri and Pithoragarh.

(With PTI inputs)

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