Inferno causes damage to nearly 60,000 kanals area in 3 yrs
No financial assistance received under Forest Mgmt Scheme
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 24: Despite being aware of the fact that nearly 60,000 kanals of forest land suffered extensive damage during the past three years due to blaze, State Government has failed to act on the directives of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) regarding preparation of State Action Plan on Forest Fire.
Moreover, State has not received any financial assistance last year as well as during current year so far under Intensification of Forest Management Scheme whose main components are forest fire control and management and strengthening of infrastructure for forest protection.
As per the official figures, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, a total of 113 forest fire alerts were received by the concerned authorities of the Forest Department and its allied wings in the year 2017 and this number increased to 742 in the year 2018. Even during the period between January 1, 2019 and June 16, 2019, the Department received 35 forest fire alerts from different parts of the State.
In the year 2016, a total of 214 forest fire incidents took place as a result of which 341.43 hectares (6828 kanals) of forest land suffered extensive damage. This number increased during 2017 when 751 forest fire incidents took place involving 2556.27 hectares (51125 kanals) of forest land.
“Large number of fire incidents also took place during 2018 and current year so far but the data of the same is not readily available”, sources said.
Despite damage to such a huge chunk of forest land in different parts of the State due to fire incidents, the Forest Department has yet not started acting on the directives of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest regarding preparation of an Action Plan to control forest fires, sources said.
The Union Ministry had prepared National Action Plan on Forest Fire in the year 2018 and accordingly circulated the copies of the same to all the States including Jammu and Kashmir for preparation of State Action Plan on Forest Fire so as to take appropriate action for effective prevention and management of forest fires, sources disclosed.
While a number of officers of the Forest Department and allied wings, when contacted, expressed ignorance about National Action Plan on Forest Fire, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Jammu Sameer Bharti failed to specify the steps taken by the Forest Department for the preparation of State Action Plan on Forest Fire.
It is worthwhile to mention here that the Ministry of Environment and Forest is the Nodal Ministry for disaster management caused by forest fire, water pollution and hazardous substances in the country.
For the supervision and review of forest fire management, a Central Monitoring Committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Secretary of the MoEF and represented by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of all States and Union Territories
“Since the circulation of copies of the National Action Plan on Forest Fire, the Central Monitoring Committee has taken up the issue of State Action Plan with the J&K Government a number of times but steps in this regard are yet to be taken”, sources further said, adding “since the forests are managed by State Forest Department, the responsibility of forest fire prevention and management lies primarily with the State Government”.
Moreover, the State Government has failed to receive any financial assistance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest under Intensification of Forest Management Scheme (IFMS), the objectives of which are– forest fire control and management, strengthening of infrastructure for forest protection, conservation and restoration of unique vegetation and ecosystems and control and eradication of forest invasive species.
Though Chief Conservator of Forests Jammu admitted that no financial assistance under this scheme was received during last year as well as current year so far yet he failed to pin point the reasons behind this.
“How the Forest Department can be so casual towards preparation of State Action Plan on Forest Fire despite being aware of the fact that green gold is the major attraction for the tourists”, sources wondered.
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