Despite spending lakhs of rupees in holding awareness programmes to escape forest-fire, the forest officials in Gariaband district have failed to douse a raging forest fire which is fast spreading.
It is significant to mention that the forest department sanctions funds for constructing roads, culvert, building, deepening of pond, huts in the jungles etc but there has been no funds for appointing ‘fire watchers’ who alert officials if fire erupts in jungles. Forest officials based at district headquarters in Gariaband as well as at forest department headquarters in Raipur have failed so far to take any cognisance of raging forest fire in Gariaband.