Forty master control rooms and 1,166 fire-fighting teams have been set up in different parts of the State to tackle the forest fires raging across Uttarakhand. One team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and three teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been dispatched to Pauri, Gauchar, Nainital and Almora to assist departmental teams tackling forest fires. This was stated by officials concerned at a meeting chaired by the State’s Additional Chief Secretary S Ramaswami to review the status of forest fires in the State here on Sunday.
Officials stated that 1,166 fire-fighting teams, each with five to seven members have been provided with fire fighting equipment. About 14,000 villagers have been trained for fire fighting, averred the officials. The number of persons keeping an eye on fire in the mountainous and plain areas vulnerable to fire has been increased from 3,000 to 6,000.
The Government of India has also sent an Mi-17 helicopter to assist in the fire fighting efforts. The officials further averred that in order to bring the forest fire under control, the Fire Services department has deployed 500 personnel to mitigate forest fire threats in urban and suburban areas.
The district magistrates have also issued necessary orders for deployment of 100 Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) personnel in each district for protecting revenue forests. For mitigation and extinguishing of fires in the jungles, directions have been issued to release Rs5 crore from the SDRF fund to Van Panchayats for procuring necessary equipment to mitigate and prevent forest fires.
All district magistrates and senior superintendents of police have been directed to involve the PRD jawans in the efforts. Officials concerned were also directed to make arrangement for water in wildlife populated areas and protected areas.
Information about areas vulnerable to forest fires during the coming seven days is accessible on the departmental website forests.uk.gov.in along with the weather forecast for the next 15 days.
Officials further informed that about Rs8 crore had been released under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) with provision of Rs14 crore also being made for mitigation of forest fires in Uttarakhand.
The officials pointed out that according to the weather forecast issued by the India Meteorological Department, there is possibility of rain the coming two-three days which is expected to bring some relief in the fiery situation.