Facebook Live: Experts Weigh in On Deonar and Uttarakhand Fires

Are the recent fires manmade tragedy or an ecological disaster? Darryl D’Monte and Neha Sinha join us.

Five hundred personnel from the fire brigade were also deployed to help control the fires. (Photo: Facebook.com/ElaSmetack)

The first half of 2016 has been a fiery one. Fires engulfed the forests of Uttarakhand and flames later spread to Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir. In Mumbai, the Deonar landfill site has erupted in flames several times this year, clogging the lungs of rag pickers and residents in surrounding areas.

So why are we seeing so many fires? Is it a manmade problem, or are we facing environmental factors that we can’t help?

The Quint spoke to Darryl D’Monte, chairperson of the Forum of Environmental Journalists in India, and Neha Sinha, a wildlife conservationist, to learn more.