Imphal: The Manipur government, through its Forest Department, has issued an urgent appeal for public cooperation to prevent forest fires, particularly with the onset of the dry season in early 2026.
Senior officials have urged village chiefs, community leaders, and the public to remain vigilant and take active roles in safeguarding forest resources, as many fires are caused by human activities such as jhum cultivation, charcoal production, and negligence.
In Manipur, the peak fire season typically begins in early February and lasts around 11 weeks, extending into April. The government notes that 75.46% of Manipur’s geographical area is under forest cover, and protecting it, especially from human-caused fires during the dry season (February to April), is crucial for biodiversity and for reducing air pollution.
A forest fire was reported on February 28, 2026, for the first time in southern Manipur, near the Friendship Bridge Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Tengnoupal district, bordering Myanmar.
Alert troops of the Assam Rifles detected the fire early and responded immediately, deploying fire-control measures to prevent its spread toward sensitive installations. The timely and coordinated action ensured the blaze was extinguished without damage or casualties.
Officials stated that 937 Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) fire alerts were reported between February 24, 2025, and February 23, 2026, considering high-confidence alerts only.
VIIRS fire alerts are near-real-time notifications that detect active vegetation fires, thermal anomalies, or gas flares by identifying spots significantly hotter than their surroundings using satellite thermal imagery.
With a 375-meter resolution, VIIRS can detect smaller and earlier fires than previous sensors. Officials reported that this level of activity is normal compared to previous years, going back to 2012.
In 2026, 117 high-confidence VIIRS fire alerts have been reported so far, a low total compared to previous years since 2012. The highest number of fires recorded in a year was in 2014, with 1,267 alerts. From 2001 to 2024, Manipur lost 1.9 kha of tree cover from fires and 250 kha from other drivers of loss.
The year with the most tree cover loss due to fires during this period was 2014, with 150 ha lost, 0.88% of all tree cover loss for that year.
Significant forest loss in Kangpokpi is driven by rapid deforestation often linked to poppy cultivation, which state authorities, led by Chief Minister Biren Singh, attribute to militants.
Recent operations in late 2025 destroyed 36 acres of poppy crops through burning, while satellite data suggests this follows wider commercial logging activities.