Preventive Measures For Forest Fires

Kishori Lal Koundal

(The writer is a retired forest officer)

Blessed with ample natural resources, Himachal Pradesh is having a geographical area of 55,673 square kilometres with 37,033 square kilometres covered with forests. It means forests makes 67% of total geographical land of Himachal. Dense forests of Himachal have different varieties of trees inside natural forests, but pine trees make majority among them. And it is these jungles where pine trees are in majority that incidents of forest fires are reported in large numbers. These forests are majorly found in Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan, Sirmaur and Shimla districts. Come April month and the process of forest fires begins in Himachal. Sometimes such fierce are the forest fires that human habitats adjoining it also gets affected. However the state government stakes high claims of rigid preparation to curb forest fires. But by the April month, hollowness of these claims is exposed completely.

Forest fires not only destroy forest wealth but also turn into ashes invaluable herbs and rare flora and fauna. In the present modernised era, forest department locates particular forest fire incidents with the help of satellite. But the tough geographical conditions of mountains make it extremely difficult for human intervention to douse the fire. We are well aware of the fact that fire incidents occur during every summer season. But we have failed to construct a concrete policy to counter them. Even in future, we cannot have complete control over such incidents. But we can minimise damages by taking some concrete preventive measures. The pine needles start felling from February. The department must take following measures from February. First forest should be divided into small blocks by marking boundaries through ridges and nullahs. Second 20 feet wide fire preventive fire lines should be constructed below the ridges of mountains by removing grass, shrubs and digging the area lightly so that fire in one block do not penetrate into the other block.

Besides this four feet wide inspection paths should be constructed at a distance of 200 feet in divided blocks to block the ignited pine cones coming down from the top of forest. The paths should be mandatorily leaves free. Controlled burning should be mandatorily carried out from February – March to April 15. Bushes should be removed by cutting or pruning by end of March month in pine forests. At least one fire watcher should be appointed for every 50 hectare area of forest land. Awareness camps should be held in panchayats to make aware youth and women as without their active participation success cannot be achieved. Everyone including forest employees, gram panchayats and person specific involved in cooperating the cause should be honoured. The posts of forest guards should be increased. Without active work on ground, even satellites cannot curb down the forest fire incidents.

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