Uttarakhand forest fires have caused immense damage to life and property. So much so that tourism has also been largely affected. The hilly state of Uttarakhand which remains packed during the summer season, remains empty as raging fires have been keeping tourists far away.
The latest reports say that 70 percent of the fire has been ousted with the help of several government and private agencies doing all that it takes to control the forest fires. The wildfires were so intense that several areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have also been affected.
These LANDSAT images from April 29 show the amount of damage that has been caused due to these forest fires. In the hilly regions, winds usually are light. Thus the smoke instead of drifting away with the winds is settling at one place.
In fact, the smoke is becoming thicker making it difficult for the aviators to pin point the areas that need assistance. Not only this, the smoke is also hazardous for the health of the population residing in the region.
Each circle in the image amounts to an area of about 100 to 500 metres. These high resolution images show how spot fires have occurred over several areas.
The weather has remained mostly dry in Uttarakhand, however, in the coming days, the state is likely to receive scattered rain as a Western Disturbance is approaching the Western Himalayas. These rains will bring in some relief from the ongoing conditions.
