Timely detection,control and monitoring of Forest Fires
Timely detection,control and monitoring of Forest Fires
18 December 2008
published by pib.nic.in
India — As per the reports received from various State and Union Territory Forest Departments, the quantum of loss suffered annually due to forest fire is given in Annexure.
Forest fire management involves prevention, timely detection, control and monitoring. A combination of technologies such as Remote Sensing, Geographic Information System etc. is being used for detection and monitoring of forest fires. Under the Centrally Sponsored Integrated Forest Protection Scheme, Forest Fire Control and Management is one of the components. Financial assistance is provided by the Central Government to the States/Union Territories to take up various activities for effective prevention and control of forest fires including use of modern technology. The total assistance provided by this Ministry for forest-fire prevention and control to the State/Union Territory Governments for the year 2008-09 is Rs. 3149 lakhs.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests Sh S. Regupathy in a reply to a question by Sh Amir Alam Khan in Rajyasabha today.
Annexure
Forest Fires.
S.No.
States
Reported Loss in a Year (Rs. in Lakhs)
1
Andhra Pradesh
Insignificant loss.
2
Bihar
Details not available.
3
Chhattisgarh
0.15
4
Gujarat
13.93
5
Goa
Details not available.
6
Haryana
3.60
7
Himachal Pradesh
44.47
8
Jammu & Kashmir
23.44
9
Jharkhand
Only ground fire, no significant loss.
10
Karnataka
1.16
11
Kerala
2.57
12
Madhya Pradesh
Insignificant loss.
13
Maharashtra
24.33
14
Orissa
Only ground fire, no significant loss.
15
Punjab
7.50
16
Rajasthan
No major loss has been reported
17
Tamil Nadu
No major loss has been reported.
18
Uttar Pradesh
3.30
19
Uttarakhand
3.67
20
West Bengal
16.81
21
Arunachal Pradesh
-Nil-
22
Assam
Sporadic fires due to shifting cultivation.
23
Manipur
Sporadic fires due to shifting cultivation.
24
Meghalaya
Insignificant loss.
25
Mizoram
Details not available.
26
Nagaland
No significant loss.
27
Sikkim
1.00
28
Tripura
Details not available.
29
Andaman & Nicobar Island
Insignificant loss.
30
Chandigarh
-Nil-
31
Dadar & Nagar Haveli
5.27
32
Daman & Diu
-Nil-
33
Delhi
-Nil-
34
Lakshdweep
-Nil-
35
Puducherry
-Nil-
Forest Fires
The Forest Survey of India on the basis of State field inventory data of 25 years have estimated that about 9% of countrys forests are prone to frequent fires and 44% forests to occasional fires. Thus, 53% of countrys forest are estimated to be prone to fire. However it is not a fact that timber worth Rs. 35 crore is lost to fires every year.
Forest fire management involves prevention, timely detection, control and monitoring. A combination of technologies such as Remote Sensing, Geographic Information System etc. is being used for detection and monitoring of forest fires. Under the Centrally Sponsored Integrated Forest Protection Scheme, Forest Fire Control and Management is one of the components. Financial assistance is provided to the States/Union Territories on sharing basis to take up various activities for effective prevention and control of forest fires including use of modern technology.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests Sh S. Regupathy in a reply to a question by Prof. Alka Balram Kshatriya and Smt. Shobhana Bharatia in Rajyasabha today.
