Mount Abu "The Tinderbox ready to explode”

Forest fire behind the firing range

Forest fire Arna village smouldering fire chandmari

Human carelessness Beginning of forest fire firing range.

Last week while driving home I saw smoke bellowing around the army shooting range, for a second I lost all sense of reality and jammed on my brakes to get a better view and almost got my one way ticket to the Hades, a speeding car had to hit hard on his brakes and with screeching tyres only inches to spare manage to stop his car behind me. My folly had a devastating effect, the driver behind me was all shook up, in righteous anger he barged into me calling me you Bloody “Pagal Angrez”,(mad Englishman) you want to get killed. I was all shook up because had he not applied his power brakes, I would have probably ended up flying straight into the burning inferno that had got me into this situation.
Mount Abu’s forest now looks like a graveyard of dried and dying trees the drought conditions have taken their toll on this area gradually over the years. The summer this year is going to be terrible; the average day temperature last week hovered between 30 to 35 degrees and the humidity around 30% or slightly lower. These high atmospheric temperatures and low humidity offer ideal conditions for a fire to start. Last week spontaneous fires sprang up in different parts of Abu, causing the populace at large to look to the heavens for an answer to their prayer, as our forest department is under staffed and ill-equipped to fight any kind of forest fire.
I’m worried because this “Tinderbox” of ours is on the brink of exploding into a burning inferno that would be detrimental to our eco-sensitive environment, there would be a massive loss of rare flora only found in this part of the world. If only our forest department would employ the local illegal wood cutters in paying them a substantial amount to clear the dry under growth and dead leaves and twigs and burn it in isolation. This small measure could go a long way to control a forest fire from spreading, the department would be killing two birds with one stone, one, illegal sale of forest wood would be reduced and two, a small measure in ensuring fire spreading through a continuous supply of dry vegetation along its path. The pictures above are photographs taken last week of spontaneous fires around Abu.

Spring in the Abode Mount Abu.

Pine trees in Mount Abu

Pine trees in Mount Abu

Hillside with mixed bag of trees

Flame of the Forest 

Indian Coral Tree

Blue Jacaranda

"An Unpredictable Spring Unfolds in the God's Dwelling"

Ah, springtime in the Land of the Gods! I had planned to hibernate this winter in order to wake up rejuvenated as a bat out of hell, but Mother Nature and global warming had other ideas for us. This year's winter in Abu was brief, with temperatures failing to reach the typical, bone-chilling -7 degrees Celsius. Local bears, which should have been hibernating, wandered the region, compelled to seek food in the city due to a lack of forage in the jungle.

Embracing Nature's Wonders:

I was off the radar for a spell, but I'm now back in action, documenting the beauty that nature has to offer. Birds that nest during the monsoons appear to have gone a little insane, already caring for their fledglings. The far-reaching effects of global warming might cause these phenomena. I can't help but hope that Mother Nature will favour the Abode of the Gods this year. Because if the monsoons fail, we're in for a bumpy trip. Even today, our water supply functions on an alternate-day basis, portraying a bleak picture for the future months.

Looking Towards the Future:

Looking inside my crystal ball, the forecast for the forthcoming summer is grim. The approaching summer will be hot, with frequent dust storms and forest fires. It's almost as though the desert is encroaching on this section of Rajasthan.

Conclusion:

Spring in the Land of the Gods offers unanticipated problems owing to altering natural rhythms and global warming. It serves as a reminder that, even in the face of such uncertainty, we must value and safeguard our environment. As we prepare for what lies ahead, we will continue to find peace and beauty in nature's intriguing and ever-changing dance.