Dehradun, Uttarakhand: Powerful and most disastrous forest fires in the State of Uttarakhand required the Central Government to send in 3 companies of the NDRF- National Disaster Response Force for putting out the flames and conducting rescue operations. Thus, as per the sources, in all around 135 personnel were deployed in the hill state.
It was seen that the Governor of the State- K. K. Paul was required to seek the help from NDRF for dealing with the said crisis. On Thursday, 28th April, it was seen that Paul was required to double the number of the State Personnel for deploying them for tackling the fires to 6,000. Moreover, Paul also chaired to a high- level meeting, where the Top officials in the State had decided to provide water tankers for putting out the said fires.
It was seen since from the month of February, 922 incidents of forest fires in the state have been reported. And in such fire incidents, about 5 people were killed including 3 of them women and child, as reported by the News Agency- Press Trust of India. Besides such deaths, about 7 people were also injured, as per B. P. Gupta- Principal Conservator of Forest.
Also, as per the officials, the most inflammable trees like Cheed and Sal trees are highly located in the districts like Pauri, Tehri and Nainital as such these areas are worst affected.
The local people are informed to report the instances of fire, if they will locate anywhere, to the District magistrates immediately, they got to know about such. As per Shatrughna Singh- the Chief Secretary who said that “the NDRF companies, assisted by experts, will launch fire extinguishing and rescue operations in the affected areas.”
Also, Sanjay Gunjyal- the Inspector General of Police has been required to co- ordinate with the said NDRF and the district magistrates concerned and also to co- ordinate with the principal conservator of Forest for supervising the said operations.
It is notable here that the forest fires were always experienced naturally during the season of summer, but this year the situation is little bigger and dangerous, as per PCF.
