New plan formulated to prevent forest fires

Small dams and large ponds to be constructed to preserve forest water

RAWALPINDI:

The Forest Department has devised a new plan for the summer season next year for prompt control and prevention of fire incidents in the massive government forests of Murree, Kotli Sattian, Kahuta, and Kallar Syedan.

Under the new plan, small dams and large ponds will be constructed to preserve water in the forest, meal preparation such as cooking, barbecues, or brewing tea within the forest premises will be strictly prohibited, and CCTV cameras will be installed to monitor tourists and their activities. Moreover, forest guards will carefully enforce these restrictions on tourists.

Camp offices will be established for the forest department officers during summer (from May 2023 to July 31, 2023) where officers will be present to monitor and maintain the forests.

This year, 14 forest fire incidents were reported in three months in these four tehsils of Rawalpindi. As a result, trees worth millions of rupees were burned, wild animals died, their natural habitats were destroyed and several birds were forced to migrate to upper regions.

Therefore, the plan was carefully formulated to ensure that these birds could be assisted to return. Moreover, binoculars, firearms and motorbikes will also be provided to the security guards to assist them during their surveillance hours.

District Forest Officer Ashfaq Bashir Bhatta said that in order to conserve forests, to prevent wood theft and to completely eradicate timber mafia, cooking at picnics including barbeques will be banned, similarly, use of saws, axes and matches will not be permitted. Smoking will also be banned within the vicinity of the forests, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2022.