The acrid smell of charred pine hits me the minute I step into the Walong sector of Anjaw district. It’s only the first week of March but by gum the hills are already belching smoke. This sort of hazy horizon usually doesn’t start showing up until late April, a sign the pre-monsoon heat is on its way. But 2026 is really testing the rules on this one.
The North-East India unseasonably early forest fire alert March 2026 is more than just a weather app notification, its a very real, disorienting experience for the folks living in the border towns of Arunachal Pradesh.
Yesterday I stood out with Tashi a local bloke who’s been living in these hills for sixty years. He points out a blackened ridge that was meant to be looking its absolute best this time of year, all bright and green with rhododendrons. He kicks at the dry leaf litter with a look of disgust “The rains never really showed up” he says, it’s been so dry underfoot its like walking on broken glass. “The wind just picks up one spark from a jhum clearing and carries it on up the slope before you can even move a muscle”
He’s dead right. Official reports from the Ministry of Home Affairs are pretty clear, while large numbers haven’t lost their lives, these early blazes are some 200 times worse than what we saw in 2025.
Behind the Blaze: Why March is Burning
The technical data is a dry as the wood its self. The Forest Survey of India has been sending out satellite alerts 6 or 8 times a day now. It looks like a combination of a pretty rare “Western Disturbance” (which usually brings some winter rain) and a massive jump up in temperatures across East India is causing the problem.
The Indian Air Force is having to get in the game way earlier than anyone was expecting. Just a couple of days ago I watched as Mi-17 V5 helicopters were struggling to fly over the Lohit Valley, the Bambi buckets on the end trying to put out hotspots up at 9,500 feet. Its a bit of a never ending battle. The fires are getting up the Japfu Peak in the Dzukou Valley, on the Nagaland-Manipur border and getting a leg up on dry alpine grass.
There’s a fair bit of heat being generated down the line politically as well. Officials are quick to point their finger at jhum (slash-and-burn) farming as the primary cause, but local activists are saying that the lack of community based firefighting gear is making these traditional methods a whole lot riskier than they used to be. There is a clear policy gap here and just throwing more water at it with those helicopters is not going to paper over it.
Safe Travel Zones Amid the March 2026 Alert
If you are planning on heading to the region, the North-East India unseasonably early forest fire alert March 2026 is not a showstopper for the whole of the Seven Sisters – but it does mean you’re going to have to rethink your trip.
As things stand the “Red Zones” which have got the fire service really scrambling are:
- Anjaw and Lohit Districts (Arunachal): that’s the Walong and Kibithu bits.
- Dzukou Valley (Nagaland/Manipur): trekking has been put on hold around Japfu Peak – better safe than sorry.
Safe Travel Zones – While the Smoke Continues to Roll In
Several safe zones remain unaffected by the smoke – for now. These include:
- Central Assam: The Kaziranga and Manas regions are okay, but you’ll notice the humidity is way out of whack. I mean, its not usually this low this time of year.
- Western Arunachal: Tawang is clear, thanks to the snow melt at high altitudes which is giving us a bit of a break from the fires.
- Meghalaya: Shillong and Cherrapunji still look good, just make sure you stick to the trails and don’t stray.
On the other hand – avoid getting off the beaten path into Eastern Arunachal at all costs. The terrain is basically a tinderbox just waiting for a spark to go up in flames. Don’t, for gods sake, have a carelessly discarded cigarette – or an unquenched campfire…its a recipe for disaster.
The Economic Fallout and the SME Growth Fund
This time its not just trees on fire – the local economy is getting scorched too. Small resort owners and tour operators are seeing their bookings dry up right when the season is supposed be kicking off. This is why its time to focus on the “real firefighting” that’s going on in the boardrooms of New Delhi.
A few weeks ago the Union Budget 2026-27 tossed out a new ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund designed to help small businesses grow from “small to stable”. For the local entrepreneurs in the North-East this could be just what they need to make it through this climate-induced downturn in one piece.
How to Get Your Hands on the new Budget 2026 SME Growth Fund
We’re still waiting for the fine print, but the SME Growth Fund looks like it will be managed by SIDBI – unlike those traditional loans that always seem to come with a ton of strings attached. This one is focused on equity and growth capital, so if you’re a local business looking to adapt to a changing climate – perhaps by going for some fire-resistant infrastructure or tech-enabled tourism – here’s what the “Corporate Mitras” (a new team of pro consultants announced in the budget) are advising:
- Get Your Business Info Up to Date: You can’t touch a rupee of that money until you’ve got your formal registration in order. If your Udyam portal details are out of date, get them sorted pronto.
- The TReDS Mandate: All government agencies are now required to use the Trade Receivables Discounting System. If you supply to the government, this should get you instant liquidity.
- Growing is Great – Liquidity is Good, but Growth is Better: This fund isn’t just about bailing you out of trouble, it’s for “Champion SMEs” that have a real plan for growth – whether that’s getting some new tech or breaking into the export market via the newly uncapped courier export limits.
