Harsh Vardhan releases report on ‘Strengthening Forest Fire Management in India’

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Strongly emphasizing that more and more people will have to be involved to make management of forest fires into a mass movement, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr Harsh Vardhan on October 9, 2018, said that forest fire management is part of our long-term vision for Sustainable Forest Management.

Speaking at the release of a report titled “Strengthening Forest Fire Management in India” here, Dr Harsh Vardhan affirmed that the recommendations suggested in the report must be implemented effectively. He added that once the recommendations are implemented, there should be a significant reduction in the incidence of forest fires. The Minister also suggested that the Ministry of Science & Technology also be involved on the issue of fighting forest fires.

Dr Harsh Vardhan also pointed out that various recommendations in the study report will be worth, only if they are followed up by a proactive and aggressive strategy.  The Minister stressed that forest fire is one of the causes of emission of carbon dioxide that leads to global warming.  “Hence, the report is a timely action guided by the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet India’s climate goals defined under the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) set under the Paris Agreement,” the Minister said, according to a PIB release.  He advocated the institution of awards to infuse a healthy competition among state forest departments.

Speaking on the occasion, Country Director for India (World Bank) Dr Junaid Kamal Ahmad said that forest fires are a challenge across many countries and lead to the loss of lives and livelihoods for people directly dependent on forest produce.