- By Deeksha Gour
- Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:41 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Uttarakhand Wildfire: Uttarakhand is suffering with a rise in forest fires, as the state witnessed 13 new incidents of such fires on Wednesday, resulting in the destruction of approximately 11 hectares of forest area. Since the beginning of this year, 490 forest fire incidents have been reported, leading to the destruction of over 581 hectares of forest land.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has issued directives to take proactive measures and strict action against individuals responsible for igniting these fires, as forest fires have become a daily occurrence in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, forest fires were recorded in New Tehri, Narendranagar, Ramnagar, Lansdowne Forest Division, and Kedarnath Wildlife Division.
To effectively address this crisis, the Forest Department has established a control room at their headquarters. In addition, helpline numbers have been made available to immediately report forest fires. Individuals can contact 18001804141 or 01352744558 or utilize WhatsApp to inform authorities at 9389337488 and 7668304788. The State Disaster Control Room in Dehradun can also be reached at 9557444486, along with the helpline number 112.
Data on forest fires so far reveals that the affected areas include 331 incidents in Reserved Forest, impacting an area of 385 hectares, and 159 incidents in the Civil sector, affecting 196 hectares. In total, the state has witnessed 490 forest fire incidents, leading to the destruction of 581 hectares.
The Forest Department has appealed to the general public for their cooperation. Forest officials across all divisions have initiated public awareness campaigns on forest preservation and fire prevention, as per the instructions from Forest Headquarters. On Wednesday, the awareness campaign was conducted in the Khanpur range of Roorkee forest division. Forest officials also conducted campaigns in Kudkawala, Shahmansoor, Haljora, Sikroda, Fatehpur, Hazara, and Bandarjud, engaging with villagers and sharing knowledge on safeguarding the forests from potential fires.