Uttarakhand forest fires: CM Dhami steps up vigil in state to combat blaze

New Delhi [India], May 5 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday instructed the Chief Secretary over the phone to immediately issue instructions to the District Magistrates to continuously monitor forest fires every day for a week.
Chief Minister Dhami has also instructed the District Magistrates to completely ban the burning of all types of fodder (Stubble Burning) for a week with immediate effect. Along with this, urban bodies have also been instructed to ban the burning of solid waste in forests or around forests, stated an official release.
The state has recently witnessed an alarming increase in forest fires, prompting concerns about environmental safety and the impact on local communities.
The Uttarakhand Chief Minister also held a video conference with the state government officials and all the district magistrates from Uttarakhand Sadan in New Delhi on important issues like forest fire, drinking water problem, upcoming Chardham Yatra and power supply.
"This is a big challenge for us. There should be a proper mechanism for this, and there should be preparations in advance to deal with it. It has been said that the responsibilities of all the senior officers from the headquarters should be fixed, the responsibilities of the district officers should be fixed and along with coordination with all the departments, there should be complete control over this within the next one week," Dhami told ANI.
The districts of Champawat, Almora and Nainital have been severely affected by the forest fire in Uttarakhand.
A massive fire broke out in Ladiyakata area of the Nainital Air Force Centre on April 27. The district administration deployed helicoptersto bring the blaze under control.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed MI-17 helicopters to assist in the firefighting efforts. These helicopters pulled water from Nainital Lake to douse the flames, resulting in a temporary halt to boating activities on the lake.
Meanwhile, in other regions of Uttarakhand, the locals are supporting the fire officials to bring the blaze under control. (ANI)