Forest fire control and mitigation workshop held in J-K's Udhampur
Udhampur, May 22
In response to rapidly rising summer temperatures and an elevated risk of wildfires, the Udhampur Forest Division on Friday launched a comprehensive master plan centred on awareness, prevention, caution, and control to minimise environmental damage across the region.
As part of this initiative, specialised department teams are actively conducting extensive village outreach programs throughout the Mand Panchayat in the Udhampur district to equip residents with vital survival, emergency response, and containment skills.
In response to rising summer wildfire risks, Divisional Forest Officer Satyendra Maurya urged Udhampur residents to act as crucial first responders following a specialised mitigation workshop and two recent fire incidents.
"On behalf of the Udhampur Forest Division, we organised a forest fire control and mitigation workshop. The possibility of forest fires grows during the summer. We organised an awareness camp with locals, the forest department, and other sister wings. We appealed to the locals that they have an important role to play in case of mitigating forest fires because they are the first responders. There were two minor incidents of forest fires recently," Maurya told ANI.
A local from Mand Panchayat, Razaq Mohammad, speaking to ANI, said, "Officers from the forest department and the DFO made us aware about not lighting fires in the forest. They also organised a mock drill to prepare us for what to do in case of a forest fire."
Emphasising community responsibility, Mand Panchayat local Jyoti Prakash Sharma highlighted that safeguarding the forest is a collective duty, sharing vital containment techniques learned during the workshop.
"This forest is a national treasure for us. Safeguarding this forest is not a one man's job. We have a forest department, but we have to be responsible for it too. We were taught today that before dousing the fire, we have to ensure first that it does not spread," said Sharma.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative, but are they also providing firefighting equipment to villagers? Just awareness won't cut it when flames are spreading fast. Need concrete support too.
"National treasure" - exactly! Our forests in J&K are precious. This community-first approach is the way to go. Proud of Udhampur locals stepping up. 👏
Mock drills are great, but what about satellite monitoring and quick response teams? Our forest department needs modern tech, not just village camps. Still, a decent start.
As someone from Udhampur, I'm relieved the department is taking this seriously. Last summer's fire near my village was terrifying. God forbid it happens again, but now we know what to do. Thank you, DFO Maurya! 🌿
I appreciate the emphasis on locals as first responders. In hilly areas like Udhampur, fire engines take hours to reach. Training villagers is the most practical solution. But hope they also create buffer zones to prevent fires from spreading.
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