PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
In order to ensure an adequate number of forest guards, 1,000 new appointments will be made in the State. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami issued this and other directions while chairing a high-level meeting on forest fire control here on Friday at a time when rising temperatures are fuelling wildfires in different parts of the State.
Dhami directed officials to ensure that strict action is taken against those causing damage to forest wealth and to minimise the response time to put an effective check on forest fires. The officials concerned should reach the site within one hour of information being received about a forest fire, he said. The CM said that the community-driven forest fire prevention and management strategy- Sheetalkhet model should be implemented across the State. Small ponds should be made near fire lines and a concrete action plan should be prepared for prevention of wildfires while the personnel tackling forest fires should be provided adequate equipment, he said. Wide-scale public awareness campaigns should also be conducted to prevent incidents of forest fires, the CM added.
Directing officials to appoint 1,000 new forest guards to ensure adequate availability of these personnel, he also instructed that the necessary budget should be provided as per the rules to village committees and Van Panchayats for forest fire prevention. Dhami also stressed on immediately providing information about forest fires in a particular area through the mobile alert system. Considering the incidents of human-wildlife conflict, he directed that adequate availability of veterinarians should be ensured in each division of the Forest department. Principal chief conservator of forest Ranjan Mishra, special secretary Parag Madhukar Dhakate and other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
