In response to orders from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Forest Department has taken decisive action. Three individuals caught at the scene have been arrested and incarcerated. Chief Minister Dhami is continuously monitoring the occurrence of wildfires and has directed officers to remain on high alert around the clock. Moreover, CM conducted an aerial survey of fire damage in the Nainital area on Saturday afternoon.
As per reports, a Forest Fire Prevention team led by the Divisional Forest Officer of Rudraprayag apprehended Naresh Bhatt in the act of igniting a blaze in Nainital's forests. The accused claimed the fire was set to promote fresh grass growth for goats.
Following the arrest, the Forest Area Officer detained the criminal and escorted him to jail. A forest offense was recorded under the Indian Forest Act, 1927. In addition, Hemant Singh and Bhagwati Lal were captured igniting a fire in the forests of northern Jakholi's Dangwal village and were subsequently sent to jail.
Divisional Forest Officer of Rudraprayag, Abhimanyu, informed that legal action will be taken against arsonists under the relevant sections of the Forest Act. Special Forest Fire Prevention squads have been established at the divisional level to apprehend offenders. To date, 19 cases have been filed this year, with 3 named and 16 under investigation.
Fire control is being executed by Fire Crew-Stations and Mobile Crew-Stations. Additionally, the Flying Squad Team is catching criminals across all ranges using satellite, cameras, and telescopes. Public participation is crucial in complementing the Forest Department's efforts to prevent forest fires. Meanwhile, annual forest fires in Uttarakhand are exacerbating the state's temperature rise. This year alone, 708 hectares of forest land have already been damaged by fire.
