Uttarakhand CM orders recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to control wildfires

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday ordered the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen efforts to control raging wildfires across the state.

Dhami issued these directives during a high-level review meeting with top officials here and directed them to minimise the response time to wildfire incidents.

The chief minister said concerned officers must reach the affected spot within one hour of receiving information.

He also emphasised the need for immediate dissemination of wildfire alerts in affected areas through a mobile alert system.

Dhami urged officials to implement the Almora district's 'Sheetalkhet model' across the state.

The model emphasises active cooperation between local communities and forest officials for wildfire prevention and management.

Dhami directed the construction of small ponds near fire lines to control the blaze. He ordered the preparation of a concrete action plan for fire prevention.

The chief minister directed officials to provide adequate equipment for firefighting personnel and provide the necessary budget to village committees and Van Panchayats as per the rules.

Dhami ordered a large-scale public awareness campaign to prevent wildfire incidents. He directed strict action against individuals who cause damage to forest wealth.

The chief minister further ordered officials to ensure the adequate availability of veterinarians in every forest division in view of increasing human-wildlife conflict.

The state has recorded 309 wildfire incidents during this year's forest fire season, affecting 257 hectares of forest area.

A temporary employee of the forest department died recently while extinguishing a fire in Chamoli district.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)