Dehradun, May 27 (IANS) As forest fire incidents continue to spread rapidly across the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand, the state government is preparing to introduce a reward scheme aimed at encouraging public participation in forest fire prevention and control efforts, officials said on Tuesday.
Under the proposed initiative, individuals and teams performing exceptional work in extinguishing and preventing forest fires would be rewarded with cash prizes of up to Rs 1 lakh.
The details were shared during a press conference organised by the Uttarakhand Forest Department, where Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Fires) Sushant Patnaik presented an extensive overview of the state’s ‘Forest Fire Control and Management 2026’ strategy.
Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal and Head of the Forest Department Ranjan Mishra were also present during the briefing.
Patnaik stated that Uttarakhand has been witnessing a steady increase in forest fire incidents due to factors such as rising global temperatures, prolonged dry spells, erratic monsoon patterns and climatic phenomena including El Nino.
He said the India Meteorological Department’s Meteorological Centre in Dehradun has already forecast a further rise in temperatures and dry weather conditions in the coming days, increasing the possibility of additional forest fire incidents.
“Amidst the continuously rising incidents of forest fires in Uttarakhand, the state government will soon submit a proposal to introduce a reward scheme for those who help protect forests from fire. Teams and individuals who perform exceptional work in extinguishing and preventing forest fires will be awarded prizes of up to Rs 1 lakh. Additionally, prizes worth Rs 75,000 and Rs 51,000 have also been designated,” Patnaik said.
During a presentation, officials revealed that over the last decade, Uttarakhand recorded a total of 14,638 forest fire incidents affecting nearly 23,682.77 hectares of forest land.
The department stated that during this period, 35 people lost their lives and another 76 sustained injuries in forest fire-related incidents.
According to the data presented, 394 forest fire incidents have already been reported in 2026, impacting around 331.12 hectares of land, while one human fatality has been recorded so far this year.
Patnaik also pointed out that the Uttarakhand government had categorised forest fires as a “natural calamity” as early as 2003.
“The Forest Department is actively pursuing efforts to control forest fires through collaboration with various organisations, local communities, and public awareness campaigns,” he said.
Officials shared that the reserved forest area under the control of the Forest Department spans 25,138.1814 square kilometres, while Civil and Panchayat forest areas together account for 3,890.526 square kilometres, constituting approximately 15.45 per cent of the total forest area in the state.
At present, Uttarakhand has 11 Regional Forest Circles, 43 Forest Divisions, 283 Ranges and 2,393 Beats functioning across the state. In addition, a total of 11,217 Forest Panchayats have been constituted for local forest management and protection.
To strengthen forest fire response mechanisms, the department has established an Integrated Command and Control Centre at the headquarters level. Across the state, authorities have also set up 1,438 crew stations, 40 master control rooms and 174 fire watcher towers.
Officials said communication infrastructure has also been upgraded with 45 wireless repeater sets, 488 base sets, 1,548 walkie-talkie handsets, 248 mobile sets and 1,507 GPS sets being deployed for monitoring and emergency coordination.
The department stated that 13,085.03 kilometres of fire lines have been prepared throughout the state as part of fire containment measures.
As per the Forest Fire Risk Zonation Mapping, districts including Almora, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarkashi, Nainital and Pithoragarh have been categorised as highly sensitive in terms of forest fire vulnerability.
The Forest Department has also introduced an IVRS service accessible through the helpline number 1926, along with the ‘Uttarakhand Forest Fire’ mobile application for public reporting and awareness.
Officials said that following the success of the ‘Sheetlakhet Model’, the department has also implemented the ‘Jardhar Model’ for forest fire management and community participation.
Additionally, the state has made provisions to observe ‘Agni Diwas’ or Fire Day as part of awareness campaigns aimed at preventing forest fires.
To involve local communities and simultaneously generate livelihood opportunities, the department is implementing the ‘Pine Pirul Collection Scheme’, under which residents are provided an incentive of Rs 10 per kilogram for collecting dry pine needles, locally known as Pirul.
According to officials, nine Pirul-based pellet and briquette production units are currently operational in Uttarakhand.
Over the past four years, 13,003.56 tonnes of Pirul have been collected, while the target for 2026 has been fixed at 8,555 tonnes.
Authorities further informed that 496 Forest Fire Protection and Management Committees have been formed at the Gram Panchayat and cluster levels. Committees assisting the department in controlling fires are being given incentives of Rs 30,000 each.
During the 2026 forest fire season, a total of 5,625 fire watchers were deployed across the state. These personnel have also been provided insurance coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh per person under a group accident insurance scheme.
The department stated that during 2026, it organised 3,235 public awareness programmes in which 81,414 people participated.
Officials also confirmed that an MoU has been signed with the India Meteorological Department to receive customised forest fire forecasts for better preparedness and rapid response.
In addition, inter-agency coordination meetings have been organised at the state level to ensure cooperation between various departments involved in forest fire management.
Mock drills related to forest fire emergencies have also been conducted in all districts, while senior Forest Department officials have been appointed as District Nodal Officers to improve coordination with other government agencies.
Under the World Bank-funded U-PREPARE scheme, the department has supplied firefighting equipment, including fire rakes, protective suits, gloves, helmets, boots, water bottles and headlamps to various forest divisions across the state.
–IANS
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