Rawat orders officials to register FIR against those responsible for forest fires

Friday, 26 APRIL 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN

In view of several forest fire incidents in recent weeks, the Kumaon commissioner Deepak Rawat directed the Forest department to register FIRs against mischievous elements behind the fire incidents. He interacted with the chief conservator of forest (CCF) of the Kumaon division PK Patro via video conferencing and discussed the recent forest fires in several districts of the region. He also directed Patro to make suitable arrangements at the ground level to ensure the forest department and authorities concerned can act immediately after getting information about the forest fire. He said that many areas of Kumaon are vulnerable to forest fires and the department must ensure the minimum response time to fire incidents.  Rawat directed the CCF to nominate officers in the department at the local level for quick response and to make people aware of forest fire prevention methods. Besides this, sufficient numbers of fire watchers should also be deployed in the vulnerable areas so that it can be controlled in future. The department must ensure that fire watchers and forest guards deployed in respective areas are present and active there and not being negligent in their work. He directed that if anyone is found intentionally involved in setting fire to forests, then the strictest action should be taken against them. Informing the commissioner about the department’s arrangements to prevent forest fires, Patro said that the divisional forest officers have been instructed to deploy fire watchers at their level in case of shortage. Besides this, the department has also provided a new vehicle for each forest range.  Patro told Rawat that the department needs PRD personnel and home guards along with the support of locals to prevent and tackle forest fires. Responding to this, the commissioner said that PRD and home guards will be deployed soon at the district level. In the areas susceptible to fire, local people will be deployed seasonally by the village development officer to extinguish the fire. The fire service will also be deployed in case a fire spreads around the main road, he added.