Himachal Pradesh has recorded 1,318 fire incidents so far this year, affecting 12,718 hectares of land, including 2,789 hectares of plantation area. These incidents have resulted in an initial estimated financial loss of Rs 4.61 crore.
This was disclosed by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while presiding over a meeting of the forest department here on Monday.
Expressing serious concern over the forest fire incidents, he directed the forest department to make concerted efforts to address the issue.
He further instructed them to initiate long-term measures, in addition to immediate initiatives, to effectively curb the problem.
Sukhu stressed on the people’s participation in these efforts and said that the number of forest fire incidents are gradually decreasing.
The Chief Minister informed that the state government is contemplating to form a dedicated battalion of NDRF to mitigate these losses. The NDRF personnel will be specially equipped and trained in firefighting measures to reduce the losses in the forest areas, he added.
Additionally, he said that 374 forest beats are highly sensitive to forest fires and emphasised the need to strengthen firefighting services in these areas.
Sukhu emphasised the importance of diversifying the regions with conifer plants by introducing specific plant species of the area to help retain moisture and reduce the number of fire incidents.
He also directed the forest department to commission a study by a government agency to identify the causes of fire incidents and recommend necessary actions.