Guwahati: Forest fires are emerging as a major challenge across the Northeast, but the region needs a coordinated response rather than separate State-level measures, a Parliamentary committee has said.
The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, in its report on forest fires in the Himalayan region, has called for a single, time-bound regional action plan for the Eastern Himalayan States, citing common challenges ranging from Jhum cultivation and difficult terrain to shortages of frontline staff and irregular funding.
The report notes that Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland have consistently recorded some of the highest numbers of forest-fire detections among the Himalayan States over the past four fire seasons. However, the Committee cautions that the data do not show a uniform upward trend, with fire numbers varying considerably from one season to another.
The latest season has thrown up some worrying figures. Arunachal Pradesh had already recorded its highest number of fire detections in four years by June 8, 2026, even though the season was not yet over.
The Committee says the Eastern Himalaya presents a different fire challenge from the western Himalayan region. Here, forests are dominated by bamboo, moist deciduous vegetation and leaf litter rather than a single highly combustible forest type. Steep terrain and limited road access further complicate firefighting.
But the bigger issue is human activity.
The report identifies Jhum cultivation as a major driver of fires in the Eastern Himalaya, while acknowledging that the practice remains closely tied to the food security and livelihoods of tribal communities. It therefore argues that fire prevention cannot simply mean restricting Jhum; livelihood alternatives will have to form part of the solution.
Manipur offers perhaps the clearest indication of the scale of the problem.
The State told the Committee that an estimated 90–95 per cent of forest fires are human-induced, with short-cycle Jhum cultivation the principal cause. Of 511 active-fire sites detected and subsequently verified between September 2024 and November 2025, 335, nearly two-thirds, were attributed directly to Jhum.
The Forest Fire Alert System recorded 3,588 fire events in Manipur between January 2021 and May 2026, affecting around 12,650 hectares.
Manipur has chosen to encourage alternatives rather than impose an outright ban on Jhum. Agroforestry, horticulture, beekeeping and non-timber forest produce-based livelihoods are among the alternatives being promoted.
The Committee, however, found the scale of funding inadequate. Only Rs 19.04 lakh was utilised for dedicated Jhum rehabilitation during 2025-26, despite the practice accounting for roughly two-thirds of verified fire incidents. It has called for stronger and more transparent incentives for villages that reduce Jhum-related fires.
Technology is already playing a growing role. In Manipur, 6,967 frontline personnel and members of village and joint forest committees are registered to receive Forest Survey of India fire alerts. The State is also working with the North Eastern Space Applications Centre on forest monitoring, sensors and drone-based surveillance.
But the Committee says technology alone will not solve the problem.
Manipur’s Forest Protection Force is functioning at about 45 per cent of its sanctioned strength. The panel has therefore recommended a time-bound recruitment plan for frontline staff and a region-wide training programme for forest personnel.
The Committee wants the Centre to bring the Eastern Himalayan States together to prepare a common action plan, with specific targets and timelines. It has also proposed a standing regional mechanism for dealing with fires that cross State boundaries.
Funding is another concern. The report records wide variations in CAMPA allocations for forest-fire prevention between 2020-21 and 2025-26. Meghalaya received Rs 3.55 crore, Mizoram Rs 8.15 crore, Manipur Rs 3.22 crore and Arunachal Pradesh Rs 5.28 crore. Nagaland received no CAMPA allocation under this particular head during the period, while Assam received Rs 12 lakh.
Meghalaya’s sacred groves get special mention
The report also turns to a very different kind of forest protection—one that has existed in the Northeast for generations.
The Committee specifically refers to Meghalaya’s sacred groves, where Khasi and Jaintia communities have traditionally prohibited tree felling, hunting and even the removal of fallen wood.
It notes that these groves, protected through customary beliefs and community enforcement rather than statutory mechanisms, have in many cases preserved old-growth forests and biodiversity more effectively and for longer than formally protected areas.
The Committee has recommended that sacred groves and other community-protected forest patches across the Northeast and Himalayan region be systematically documented and mapped. It has also stressed that official support should strengthen existing customary institutions rather than replace them.
The Committee has also called for fire-free village incentives to be strengthened, better infrastructure for frontline staff and research into fire-resistant tree species.
It has further warned that repeated fires can leave forests vulnerable to invasive species. In Manipur, Ageratina adenophora and Lantana camara are spreading in fire-affected areas, prompting the panel to call for a dedicated regional programme to tackle invasive species rather than leaving individual States to deal with the problem separately.