Number Theory: Record fires in Uttarakhand, Himachal and J&K as winter turns dry
An HT analysis of satellite data suggests that fires in the two hill states and Jammu & Kashmir are unprecedented this January
Forest fires have been reported across several areas in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir in the past three days. For example, the defence ministry’s public relations wing said in a post on X on January 14, that a forest fire had been brought under control in Dera Ki Gali of Poonch district. The New Indian Express reported on January 15 that forests in Pipalkoti of Chamoli district, Jugju in Joshimath district, and Jamrakhala on the Pauri-Srinagar highway of Uttarakhand were on fire. Similarly, fires were reported from forests in the Vashisht and Shanaag areas of Manali in Himachal Pradesh, according to an ANI report on January 15. An HT analysis of satellite data suggests that such fires in the two hill states and Jammu & Kashmir were unprecedented this January. While the trigger for the fires could be human or natural, the fuel for them is likely to be the dry winter that these regions are experiencing. Here are three charts that explain this.
