Uttarakhand Governor Krishan Kant Paul has directed that three platoons of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and specialist group be deployed in Garhwal and Kumaon regions to tackle forest fires and rescue stranded people from affected areas. The governor issued instructions to senior officials of the police and district administration to take necessary measures without delay, informed chief secretary Shatrughna Singh.
The governor said that the troops will immediately initiate the rescue operation in forest fire-affected areas. For this purpose, the police inspector general Sanjay Gunjyal will be the nodal officer and establish coordination among the NDRF teams, district magistrate concerned and chief conservator of forests (Garhwal and Kumaon).
Providing this information, the chief secretary Shatrughna Singh stressed that it is essential to observe necessary precaution to mitigate damage to forest wealth, human life and property resulting from by forest fires. He further informed that information like probable fire points pre-fire data for next seven days and condition of the forest area is being uploaded on a daily basis by the Information Technology and Geoinformatics Centre (ITGC) established at the Forest Department headquarters. The main page of the forest department’s official website www.forest.uk.gov.in also contains the Bhuwan portal providing information on a daily basis regarding the actual condition of forest fire points and related aspects. Various important data on different aspects including the district-wise list of the points considered vulnerable from the view point of forest fire and extended weather forecast information for the coming 15 days can also be accessed on the department’s official website.
In addition to this various steps have already been taken in the past for relaying forest fire information and its mitigation including facilitation of a WhatsApp number (7455054828) for information on forest fire, the departments Van Mitra service accessible at the number 920808000 and the emergency ambulance assistance service 108 in the interests of the public.
Any person with information related to occurrence of forest fire can inform the district magistrate/ divisional forest officer/sub divisional officer/forest ranger about the same. Singh further informed that in addition to these initiatives, effort is being undertaken in coordination with the chief secretary of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh from where fire fighters and fire fighting equipment has been sourced and deployed in forest fire affected parts of Uttarakhand.
