About 21.40% of forest cover in India is prone to fires according to a 2019 report by the Forest Survey of India (FSI). FSI carried out a study along forest fire points identified across the country from 2004 to 2017. Forests in the north-eastern region and central India was found to be the most vulnerable.
The total number of alerts issued for each state from November 2018 to June 2019 were 29,547. Mizoram recorded the highest number of fire alerts at 2,795. The seven States of the north-eastern region accounted for 10,210 fire alerts making up about one-third of alerts in the country.
One of the major reasons for forest fires in the north-east is slash-and-burn cultivation. Commonly called jhoom or jhum cultivation. But the FSI study found that the overall green cover has increased in the country.
