National Action Plan on Forest Fire empowers all stakeholders to reduce vulnerability of forests against fire hazards
Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today informed that the Forest Survey of India (FSI) has carried out a study based on spatial analysis of forest fires detected over the past 17 years (2004 to 2021), and have identified the fire prone forest areas in the country. Based on the study, the forest area has been mapped under different fire prone classes as follows:
|
S. No
|
Category
|
Forest Cover
(in sq km)
|
% of total forest cover
|
|
1
|
Extremely Fire Prone
|
20 074.47
|
2.81
|
|
2
|
Very Highly Fire Prone
|
56 049.35
|
7.85
|
|
3
|
Highly Fire Prone
|
82 900.1 7
|
11.61
|
|
4
|
Moderately Fire Prone
|
94,126.68
|
13.19
|
|
5
|
Less Fire Prone
|
4 60 638.36
|
64.54
|
|
|
Total
|
7,13, 789.03
|
100.00
|
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has prepared National Action Plan on Forest Fire to minimize forest fires. The plan comprises taking actions by informing, enabling and empowering forest fringe communities and incentivizing them to work in tandem with the Forest Departments. It also comprises reducing vulnerability of forests against fire hazards, enhancing the capabilities of forest personnel and institutions in fighting fires, and speeding up recovery after a fire event. The Ministry has also constituted Central Monitoring Committee (CMC) for overseeing implementation of National Action Plan on Forest Fire.
The Ministry also supports the efforts of the States/ UTs in prevention and control of forest fire by providing financial assistance. The forest fire prevention and mitigation measures are funded under the Centrally Sponsored Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme, Development of Wildlife Habitats, and under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority. The funds are used for creation and maintenance of fire lines, construction of water conservation structures, procurement of firefighting equipment, awareness creation, and incentivizing villages/communities for protection against forest fire etc. Further, the forest fire prevention and its management is primarily the responsibility of concerned State Governments /UT Administration.
In the written reply it was stated that the Government has issued advisories to the States to generate awareness among the forest fringe communities to protect the forests from fire from time to time. Under the centrally sponsored scheme incentives are provided to the communities, Joint Forest Management Committees, Eco Development Committees for protecting the forests from fires.
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MJPS/SSV