India, July 18 -- https://tehelka.com/media/2025/07/Deepanwita-forest-fire-4-1024x683.jpg
Frequent wildfires are adversely impacting the vegetative cover of protected forest areas in India, and leading to alien plant species replacing native vegetation, threatening ecosystems and the delicate balance sustaining India's wildlife, writes Deepanwita Gita Niyogi
Across the world, forest fires are increasing due to climate change. In India, which is among the top ten forest-rich countries in the world, fires commonly occur in the summer season, from the months stretching from February to June.
In forested hilly terrains like Similipal in Odisha and Udanti-Sitanadi in Chhattisgarh, fires are difficult to control once they break out at higher e...