All help being given to Uttarakhand: Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 1 

Stating that the Centre had taken the Uttrakhand forest fires very seriously, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Sunday that its first priority was to douse the flames by augmenting manpower and monetary help to the distressed hill state.

Meanwhile, the under-trial pre-fire alert system had also been operational in the States with immediate effect, he said.

Regarding allegations of timber mafia being responsible for the blaze, he said the government has taken cognizance of the reports and take action. “Our first job is to douse the fire.  We have taken cognizance of the reports about timber mafia being responsible but the first priority is to control the fire," he said  

According to Javadekar, the government had allocated Rs 5 crore for adding more manpower into the efforts.  “At present 6000 persons are involved in the job of controlling the flames. We have asked for increase in the manpower and sanctioned Rs 5 crore,” he said   

According to the Environment Minister this is the worst fire in the forests of Uttrakhand since the previous incident in 2012. While earlier regular fire alerts were being issued, from today the system of pre-fire alerts was also being implemented

“We will keep tracking. This year the incidents have increased due to rise in temperatures. The forests in Uttrakhand catch fires very fast. 

"There have been fires at more than 1200 places. We have been issuing fire alerts by tracking them with the help of satellites. However these alerts are generated only after the fire incident has taken place. We have been conducting trails for pre-fire alerts. We are deploying the system immediately. The PMO has taken the issue very seriously and all departments are helping and guiding in the effort,” he said. 

While timber mafia is being cited as one of the reasons for the largely "manmade” blaze, experts are also blaming prevailing weather conditions—high temperatures ranging for a long period of time along with wind patterns—aiding the situation along with lack of compliance of general management practices required to pre-empt such events.

Dr Yogesh Gokhale, an ecologist with TERI, says the forests should have been cleared of accumulated pine needles —a readymade combustion source—well in time. It was also time that local participation in management of forest forest was promoted along with the manufacture of the pine needle briquettes—the freely available renewable energy source—in a major way by the State government, he says

Fires have “obviously been triggered by manmade circumstances like a burning beedi or a deliberate action”, he said. Therefore, forest floors should be cleared of pine needles with the help of early controlled burning.
 
A problem also is shortage of forest staff. Moreover, since it takes time for help to arrive, the participation of local people and van panchayats is essential in early detection, reporting and management of such fires.  Though not much is possible if the act is deliberate, as may be the case when timber mafia is involved or villagers use the measure to ward of wild animals.
 
Therefore. it was time that manufacture of pine needle briquettes was promoted in a big way. Pine needles are an excellent form of energy and can be used to prepare biomass briquettes. Pine needles are a good source of environment-friendly fuel as they have combustion characteristics very similar to firewood, he said. 

Prime Minister's Office and the Union Home Ministry also promised to do all they could to help contain the blaze.