Friday, 10 MAY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Participating in a review meeting on forest fire incidents in the State under the chairmanship of Home secretary, Government of India on Thursday, chief secretary Radha Raturi informed that no new incident of forest fire has occurred in Uttarakhand in the past 24 hours. The incidents of forest fire have been consistently decreasing for the last two days. About 0.1 percent of the forests in Uttarakhand have been affected by forest fire and legal action will be taken against those who propagate wrong figures in this regard, she said.
Raturi averred that the government has put all its efforts into forest fire control. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is consistently conducting review and monitoring meetings regarding forest fire control. The chief secretary and principal chief conservator of forests are also holding meetings with the officials and field staff regarding the situation.
Raturi informed that the fire alert received from Forest Survey of India (FSI) is immediately sent in the related WhatsApp groups and the crew team is sent to the spot at the same time. With special monitoring of the large number of fire alerts received from FSI, success has been achieved in controlling forest fires in the shortest possible time, she claimed.
The chief secretary further said that by making the active Van Panchayats, forest fire management committees, Mahila Mangal Dals, Yuva Mangal Dals aware and responsible, success has been achieved in controlling forest fires in the forest areas near the villages. From April 28 to May 1, the 15th battalion of NDRF assisted in controlling forest fires in Nainital forest division and on Thursday this battalion reached Garhwal forest division. An Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter sprayed 44,600 litres of water in Garhwal forest division between May 6 and 8.
