SHIMLA: The forest officials express their concern over the forest fire incidents saying that the villagers must be made aware about the damage done by the fire by activating the village forest committees that remain more or less defunct or inactive in most forest divisions across Himachal Pradesh.
Chairing the 7th Governing Body meeting of Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystem Management and Livelihood Improvement Project (JICA funded) here today Principal Secretary (Forests) Dr. Rajnish said in today's time, they should do their best to stop the forest fires. They should make people aware to save the forest through the Village Forest Development Committees, he said.
But the fact is that the forest department in all of its divisions across the state has failed to motivate or bring the villagers and panchayat representatives on board to stem the menace of forest fires in the state.
The meetings and workshops by the forest department and forest institutions in the Himalaya remained more or less the ritualistic exercises confined to towns and cities. But a precious little is done on the ground to check the forest fires, said the villagers.
The forests continue to burn every year due to the forest fires. The cataclysmic continue to rob the jungles of its wealth of herbs, shrubs and tree saplings and plants in the state every year.
Nagesh Kumar Guleria, Additional Chief Forest Conservator of Forests and Chief Project Director (JICA), gave a brief account of works to be carried out under the JICA Forestry Project.
He said Rs 45.90 Crore was spent on various developmental activities under JICA Forestry Project in 2020-21. Rs 97 crore will be spent in the coming financial year, he said.
During the meeting, Principal Secretary (Forests) Dr. Rajnish appreciated the work done in the last financial year under the JICA Forestry Project.
Principal Chief Forests and Chief of Forest Forces Ajay Srivastava and Wildlife Chief warden, Rajiv Kumar, and top officials of other departments were present on the occasion.
The meeting was attended by officials of the forest department on a virtual platform.
