‘Department plans to deploy specialised vehicles in high risk areas’
JAMMU: The 9th meeting of the State Level Monitoring Committee on the Forest Fire Prevention & Management (FFPM) Scheme was held today under the chairmanship of PCCF (HoFF) Suresh Kumar Gupta here at Forest Head Quarters, FRMC Building.
The Committee reviewed the Forest Fire management preparedness in UT of J&K especially for the upcoming fire season; with particular emphasis on raising awareness and ensuring coordination among various wings of the Forest Department and also the active involvement of locals in Forest Fire Control operations.
A detailed review of the resources available for forest fire management was taken with a focus on ensuring that all the necessary resources are available for a rapid and effective response. The preparation of Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for forest fire management was also discussed to ensure that all the best practices, currently available for fire prevention and control are incorporated in it.
The Committee also discussed the need for deploying specialized vehicles to fire prone & vulnerable ranges so as to strengthen fire-fighting capabilities in high-risk areas. One of the most fundamental points of discussion was the need for adequate budgetary support to ensure the successful implementation of fire management strategies in the field so that forest fire preparedness remains at the forefront.
The Department vowed to strive to enhance forest fire prevention and control measures through collaboration, preparedness, and resource mobilization.
The senior officers from various wings, besides expert members, Dr CM Seth, IFS (Retd) & Nadeem Qadri, Sr Advocate, High Court of J&K, also participated in the meeting which was held in hybrid mode.