By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 2 Jan: Pine needles are one of the major reasons behind the rapid spread of fires in Uttarakhand forests. The state government and the forest department are adopting several measures to clear the forests of pine needles to prevent the spread of fire. Pine needles, locally called pirul, have a high oil content, which causes them to easily catch fire, but they can also be used as fuel. The Forest Department plans to establish seven new pirul briquettes units in the state before the upcoming forest fire season, aiding in fire prevention through pirul collection.
Acting on Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s instructions, the department has developed a five-year forest fire prevention plan and has submitted it to the Central Government for approval.
In Uttarakhand, one of the primary causes of forest fires in the state is the abundance of pine forests. Approximately 15.25 percent of the forested area under the forest department’s control comprises pine forests, which makes it vulnerable to fires, especially during the dry summer months. To tackle this issue, the Forest Department collects pirul (pine needles) to produce pellets and briquettes. Several self-help groups (SHGs) assist the department in this effort, and the department currently compensates these groups at a rate of Rs 3 per quintal for pirul collection. However, following the Chief Minister’s recent announcement, this rate is set to increase.
Last year, self-help groups collected 38,299.48 quintals of pirul, for which they were paid an amount of around Rs 1.13 crores. Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) Nishant Verma shared that pirul collection significantly aids in forest fire prevention. Therefore, the department has plans to expand the number of briquettes units from 12 to 19. On the Chief Minister’s directives, seven new units will soon be established in Almora, Champawat, Garhwal, and Narendra Nagar Forest Divisions, which besides aiding prevention of forest fires would also provide local employment opportunities.
Commenting on the development, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami stressed on the importance of timely preparations for forest fire prevention and highlighted that the new briquettes units would effectively reduce forest fires caused by pirul and create local employment. He also confirmed that a five-year action plan has been submitted to the Government of India for approval.
Currently, there are briquettes units in five locations, and the five-year action plan is set to further enhance these efforts.
