Lucknow, March 14: With the change in weather, the Forest Department has completed fire prevention preparations on the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Chief Minister has asked Forest Department officials to be prepared from now on to prevent forest fires in the summer. To monitor and prevent such incidents, the Forest Department has set up control rooms at the headquarters, divisional, zonal and Divisional Chief Conservator of Forests levels. Fire control cells established at the state headquarters are functioning.
A state government spokesperson stated that a total of 116 fire control cells have been established in the state at each division, circle, zone, and headquarters level. These cells will operate 24 hours a day. Employees will be deployed in the cell in three shifts (6 am to 2 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm and 10 pm to 6 am). To avoid any delay, all information in different ranges will be registered in the register and work will be done on its immediate solution.
Information can be given on the helpline number.
The state spokesperson told that citizens can also give information regarding fire related incidents. The district officers will immediately send these information received from the district to the control cell of the headquarters. For the convenience of the general public, helpline numbers have also been issued in Lucknow. Information related to this can be given on 0522-2977310, 0522-2204676, 9651368060, 7017112077. Local helpline numbers will also be made available to the general public and officials of other departments in all other districts. 3792 officers, employees and common people of the state have also registered for forest fire alert information on the website of Forest Survey of India Dehradun – fsi.nic.in.
The forest fire season in the state has been considered till June 15. On the basis of fire incidents that occurred in previous years, highly sensitive and medium sensitive (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 Divisions have been declared. Forest fire mock drill has also been conducted in these. In sensitive districts, a district level committee has also been formed under the chairmanship of the District Magistrates.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Conservator of Forests (Public Relations) Aditi Sharma said that instructions have been given to immediately inform the headquarters level about any information about fire at the divisional level. For the convenience of the general public, a helpline number has also been issued at the headquarters level. To provide drinking water to the wild animals inside the forest area, permanent holes are being constructed and old water holes are being repaired and filled with water regularly. Watch towers are also being constructed and old watch towers are also being maintained inside the forest area.