The efforts being undertaken to tackle forest fires in Uttarakhand are ineffective, said former Chief Minister Harish Rawat here on Sunday. In an informal interaction with media persons at Congress Bhawan, the former CM also expressed doubt over the possibility of effective firefighting without involvement of the local public.
In an information conversation with the media during the labour Day programme at Congress Bhawan in Dehradun on Sunday, the former Chief Minister said that the present efforts to tackle forest fires are ineffective. Referring to the suggestions he had submitted to the governor Krishan Kant Paul, Rawat expressed doubt over the possibility of controlling forest fires without the active involvement of the public.
Rawat acknowledged that some efforts have been made but termed them incomplete and called for necessary measures in order to save the natural wealth, forests and wildlife of Uttarakhand.
He said, “The suggestions I had submitted include- declaration of Uttarakhand as fire-disaster affected State, formation of disaster management teams and their deployment in each forest beat. The local villagers and other personnel should be brought under the cover of group insurance so that in case of injury, the villager also becomes eligible to secure compensation on the lines of Government employee. Fire fighting teams should be set up in each village and they should be provided allowance about one and half times that of MNREGA workers. An emergency scheme should also be drafted for the protection of water sources while the collection of pine needles and other similar shed flora should be started on a war-scale.”