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How UP is preparing to shield its tiger reserves and national parks from forest fires
With the fire season active until June 15, the state has established 116 control cells and categorised divisions like Dudhwa and Pilibhit as highly sensitive.
The forest fire season in the state is considered to last until June 15. (PTI File Photo)
With summer setting in, the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department has issued helpline numbers and set up control rooms across the state as part of preparations to prevent forest fires.
The forest fire season in the state is considered to last until June 15. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also directed senior Forest Department officials to remain prepared in advance to ensure forest fires do not occur.
A look at the prep
Control rooms
According to a statement by the Forest Department headquarters Saturday, control rooms have been established at the headquarters, divisional level, and zonal and regional offices of the Chief Conservator of Forests.
A total of 116 fire control cells have been established across the state at the divisional, circle, zonal and headquarters levels. These will operate round the clock. Staff will be deployed in three shifts of eight hours each, starting 6 am. Fire control cells set up at the state headquarters have already started functioning.
To ensure there is no negligence or delay in response, all information received from various forest ranges will be recorded in registers and immediate action will be taken to address the issue.
Helpline numbers
The department has appealed to the people as well to alert and report fire-related incidents. Information received from districts will be immediately forwarded by district officials to the control cell at the headquarters.
For the convenience of the public, helpline numbers have been issued in Lucknow: 0522-2977310, 0522-2204676, 9651368060, 7017112077, where information related to forest fires can be provided.
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Similar local helpline numbers will also be made available in other districts for citizens and officials of different departments. On the website of the Forest Survey of India, Dehradun (fsi.nic.in), 3,792 officials, employees, and citizens from the state have registered to receive forest fire alert information.
Sensitive areas
Based on fire incidents in previous years, several divisions have been categorised as highly sensitive and moderately sensitive, including: Chitrakoot, Sonbhadra, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Katarniaghat Wildlife Division, Bahraich, Maharajganj, Dudhwa National Park, North Kheri, South Kheri, Balrampur, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Lalitpur, Banda, Hamirpur, Varanasi, and Kaimur Wildlife Division.
Forest fire mock drills have already been conducted in these areas. In sensitive districts, district-level committees have also been formed under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate.
To ensure water availability for wildlife inside forest areas, permanent water holes are being constructed and old ones are being repaired and regularly filled with water.
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Watch towers are also being constructed inside forest areas, and maintenance of existing ones is being carried out.
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