Sir,
A number of theories are circulating on what could have caused such gargantuan fires in Uttarakhand, reportedly the worst the state has seen recent times. The reasons as claimed by many on social media range from being a calculated ploy of the timber mafia, that will stand to benefit the most if trees get burnt, to environmentalists saying that lack of rain during winter could have led to reduced moisture in the soil making forests susceptible to excessive heat. The ground reality is that the local minors in Uttarakhand are being brainwashed, paid or used to light these fires by the land and timber mafias. It is not really the locals who set the fires every year before the onset of step/terrace farming, but more often, a bogus local is lured by the logging mafias, who do this. But thanks to the Rain God who has dislocated the plan of the politicians to make political capital out of the forest fire tragedy.
Now. there will be no mudslinging between BJP and Congress over the issue. Similarly, the mafia will also be very unhappy as their plans will not succeed.
Yours etc……
Vivek Koul
32, Bank Colony
Gole Gujral, Jammu.
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