SAGAR CHHETRI
GANGTOK: Around 109 hectares of forest land was affected by forest fires reported from across Sikkim yesterday as a rare weather condition of unusually low humidity, high ambient temperature and high velocity winds enveloped the State and triggered a rash of forest fires ranging from minor to some extremely serious outbreaks at 17 places across the four districts. Of course the possibility of some of these fires having sparked from intentional mischief or accident cannot be ruled out either.
As per Forest Department records, around 27 hectares of forest cover was affected in West district, 47 hectares in South, around 25 hectares in East district and 10 hectares in North Sikkim. All, on one single day.
More specifically, forest fires in West Sikkim have affected around 10 hectares at Zoom, around 5 hectares on the Tashiding Bhir, 10 hectares on Aspataley Bhir near Tharpu and around 2 hectares of the Naya Bazaar Reserve Forest.
