Uttarakhand to Pay Rs 85 for Every Litre of Water to Douse Fires

Each sortie carrying 3,500 litres of water costs about Rs 3 lakh. The aircraft draw water from nearby lakes.

A massive fire broke out in forest areas of Bathuni and Gambr of the Rajouri forest division in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. (Photo: PTI)

Uttarakhand will have to pay Rs 85 for a litre of water dropped by two Air Force Mi-17 helicopters on burning forestland, reports The Hindustan Times. Choppers were initially stationed at Bhimtal near Nainital which was being loaded with water collected from the waterbodies in the area.

Each sortie carrying 3,500 litres of water costs about Rs 3 lakh. The aircraft draw water either from Bhimtal lake near Nainital in the Kumaon division or from the Srinagar reservoir in Garhwal.

Sources to <i>Hindustan Times</i>

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