A forest fire near Basugaon on the Gyansu-Sald Road in Uttarakhand was brought under control through a joint effort of the SDRF, Forest Department, NDRF, and Fire Service teams.
The incident came to light after the SDRF in Uttarakhand received information about the fire late Wednesday night. There were concerns that it could spread to nearby residential areas.
Acting quickly on the alert, the SDRF team posted at Ujeli, led by Head Constable Durgesh Ratudi, reached the spot with necessary equipment. At the site, SDRF personnel worked together with the Forest Department, Fire Service, and NDRF teams. They carried out a full firefighting operation.
Because of the continuous and coordinated efforts of all teams, the fire was successfully controlled. It was also stopped from reaching nearby homes. Officials said timely action helped avoid a major incident.
Earlier in April, the Forest Department in Rudraprayag reported 20 forest fire incidents in the district this season. Around 15 hectares of forest land were affected, including reserved forests, Van Panchayat areas, and revenue forest regions.
Officials said the increase in fire cases is due to long dry weather and human negligence. They also said some fires appear to have been started intentionally.
Divisional Forest Officer Rajat Suman said many fires are being deliberately set by people, which is increasing the number of incidents.
He said some accused have already been caught and investigations are ongoing. He added that strict action is being taken against those responsible. He also said offenders can face fines, up to six months of jail under the Indian Forest Act, and up to two years of punishment under the Disaster Management Act and other legal provisions.
"We are taking the strictest possible action against those found involved in forest fire incidents. Under the Indian Forest Act, there is a provision for imprisonment of up to 6 months, and we are implementing that. Recently, we have also apprehended some individuals who have escaped from the South Chamoli Range, and the strictest possible action will be taken against them. Furthermore, action will be taken under the Disaster Management Act, which carries a punishment of up to 2 years, as well as sections of the BNS. Any person found involved in forest fires and other incidents that are occurring will face the strictest possible action," he said.
DFO also added that so far, 20 cases had been recorded, affecting around 15 hectares of forest area. He assured that strict action had been taken against the culprits.
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