PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
With the twin objectives of controlling forest fires and augmenting the income of women in mountainous areas of the State, the Uttarakhand government has decided to link Women Self-Help Groups and Cluster Level Federations (CLF) in collection of pine needles (locally called Pirul).
The secretary, Rural Development department, Dhiraj Singh Garbyal has directed all chief development officers (CDOs) to prepare a detailed action plan in this regard. Apart from protecting the forests from fires this initiative endeavours to provide a stable source of income for women of mountainous areas.
Garbyal said that the government’s goal is to provide employment and additional income to thousands of women in the State while strengthening environmental conservation.
The Rural Development department will involve women SHGs in this task. Women will collect pine needles from forests and receive immediate payment. At present the Forest department collects pine needles at Rs 10 per kilogramme. The department will also set up Pirul collection centres in every block of the State. These centres will be provided with sheds, dryers, pellet making machines and bundle making machines.
At these centres, collected Pine needles will be processed into fire pellets or briquettes for use as household or industrial fuel.
It is worth mentioning here that large parts of Uttarakhand’s mountainous areas are covered with pine forests. It is estimated that about 16.36 per cent ( 400,000 hectares ) of forest areas in the State is covered by pine trees. The pine needles which fall from pine trees during winters become highly inflammable during summers. Every year many forest fires are said to be caused by pine needles.
