The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for May 15 regarding the forest fire incident in Uttarakhand. During the hearing, the court instructed the Uttarakhand government and petitioners to submit their reports to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) for assessment and opinion. In its directive, the Supreme Court instructed both the Uttarakhand government and the petitioners involved in the case to share their respective reports with the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). This move aims to facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of the incident.
The Uttarakhand government provided an update to the Supreme Court on Wednesday regarding its efforts to contain the widespread forest fires, revealing that only 0.1 percent of the state's wildlife cover had been affected by the blazes.
Extent of forest fires
In a hearing before a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, the state government disclosed that since November last year, Uttarakhand witnessed 398 forest fires, all of which were attributed to human activities.
Legal actions taken
The state government informed the bench that it has initiated 350 criminal cases in connection with the forest fires, with 62 individuals named as suspects. Additionally, the government presented an interim status report during the proceedings.
Clarification on fire scale
Contrary to widespread concerns, the state's counsel clarified that despite public perception, only 0.1 per cent of Uttarakhand's wildlife cover has been affected by the fires, dispelling rumours that 40 per cent of the state was engulfed in flames.
Judicial observation and future proceedings
During the hearing, the bench emphasised that cloud seeding or relying solely on rain was not a viable solution to the issue, emphasising the importance of proactive measures by the state. The matter has been adjourned for further hearing on May 15.
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