CM announces creation of 1,000 forest guard posts
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 22 May: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami chaired a high-level meeting at his official residence here today to review the current status on forest fire control, drinking water arrangements, health services and monsoon preparedness. During the meeting, the CM also directed the officials to ensure timely and effective action and emphasised strict measures against those causing damage to forest wealth, and to minimise response time in case of fire incidents. He instructed that officials must reach the site within an hour of receiving information about a forest fire.
Dhami also stressed on the adoption of the Sheetalkhet model across the state for effective fire control. He called for the construction of small ponds around fire lines, preparation of a concrete action plan for prevention, and provision of adequate equipment to fire-fighting personnel. He directed that a large-scale public awareness campaign be launched to prevent forest fires. To ensure sufficient manpower, he announced the creation of one thousand new posts of forest guards and their recruitment and also instructed that village committees and the forest panchayats be provided with necessary budgetary support as per rules. He also directed that veterinary doctors be made available in every forest division to address human–wildlife conflict and emphasised on the use of mobile alert systems for immediate dissemination of fire information.
Besides this issue, with summer in view, the CM also directed the officials concerned to ensure adequate drinking water supply across the state. He said that water tankers must remain fully available and damaged pipelines should be repaired promptly so that people do not face any difficulty. He instructed that sufficient drinking water be ensured not only in the plains but also at pilgrimage and tourist centres. He further stressed on uninterrupted power supply and called for stronger efforts to enhance energy production.
Reviewing monsoon preparedness, Dhami directed that all the necessary arrangements be completed in time. He asked the district in-charge secretaries to conduct field inspections and assess the arrangements, with special vigilance in sensitive areas. While reviewing the health sector, he ordered mandatory fire safety audits in all the hospitals and emphasised on ensuring better cleanliness. He directed the promotion of institutional deliveries, maintenance of complete data of pregnant women, and proper arrangements to ensure their access to hospitals during the monsoon.
Regarding the Char Dham Yatra, the CM said that the pilgrims found unfit in screening tests should be advised not to undertake the journey. He reiterated that ensuring the safe and smooth pilgrimage of the devotees is the government’s highest priority.
Among those present at the meeting today were Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu, Dr R Meenakshi Sundaram, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF and HoFF) Ranjan Mishra, Secretaries Sachin Kurve, C Ravishankar, Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Special Secretary Parag Madhukar Dhakate, Additional Secretary Banshidhar Tiwari and other senior officials.
