Jan 2: A year after 12,000 acres of forests in Bandipur went up in smoke, the Karnataka Forest Department is gearing up for the summer even as the Forest Survey of India (FSI) has cautioned that 22.78 lakh acres (9,222 sq km) or about 20% of the green cover spread across three districts in the central part of the state is fire-prone.
The FSI studied forest fire incidents across the country between 2004-05 and 2017 before coming up with state-specific inputs.
According to the 13-year observation, Karnataka has 7,352 “fire points” or areas measuring 5 km X 5 km with frequent fire incidents.
Though the number is lower compared to states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha with over 20,000 points, the sheer spread of the fire-prone area itself is a challenge for the Karnataka Forest Department.
According to data, about three lakh acres (1,199.9 sq km) of forest area is very highly fire prone with 26 to 52 fire incidents in 13 years. This is followed by 7.6 lakh acres (3,067 sq km) of “highly fire prone” areas with an average of one to two incidents every year.
Almost all of the “red alert” areas are concentrated in Uttara Kannada, Chikkmagaluru, Shivamogga and Chamarajanagar districts. As temperature rises at the end of January, so does the risk of forest fires, requiring officials to be on vigil till the end of summer.
After an investigation into the Bandipur blaze revealed that faulty fire lines and poor supervision were the reason for the spread of the fire, the department has come up with a multi-pronged approach to prevent similar incidents this year.
“After the Bandipur incident, we have created a fire cell and a standard operating procedure (SOP) which everyone has to follow. Firstly, a fire management plan is prepared and approved by a competent authority.
The SOP has well defined firelines which have to be executed by December-end and burning must be completed by January 15,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) Punati Sridhar told DH.
He said that to ensure its strict implementation, GPS readings of firelines are to be submitted for random verification.
“All the required equipment from fire jackets to shoes, gloves, backpack sprayers and tractors mounted with 2,000-5,000 litre tanks with high pressure pumps will be deployed at vantage points,” he said.
In addition, the department’s fire cell works in collaboration with the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC) to give fire alerts within half and hour of an area catching fire and detected by satellites.
“Earlier, the gap used to be four hours by when the fire would have spread beyond control. Now, with reduced time gap, it would be easier to control fire early,” he added.
The 42-year-old Beary artiste-cum-politician, who had earlier served as the vice president of the Dakshina Kannada district unit of the Minority Morcha, will now also be in-charge of the minority unit of the saffron party in twin coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.
Comments
Please watch PK Movie, you will understand what does PK means... Cheddis alwz see Pakistan in their dream, its your fault for not using your mind to recognize the cheddi deception. Till when will you submit to the cheddi's lies and follow & support their evil agenda..
Use your intellect and be honest. We all clearly see their Lies and deception. Never think they will not be accountable...
DONT BE A WATCHMAN OF BJP AND RSS
Mr.Raheem, You have the right to join any political party. But please do not misquote Quran & Hadees for your benefit. i watched many debates in local channels , you were misquoted some ayath & Hadees about Go Hatya & Conversion. Political position is temporary but atleast show little bit ethics in your life. Do not justify Kalladka Bhat Hate speech /Soolibele about madrasa.
People are ready to release their families for their personal benefits. This guy doesnt even know what is Hajj Subsidy. He was claiming in one of his speech that \Muslim are receiving subsidy which was supported during AB Vajipaye govt time\" and muslims should support BJP. My dear, there is provision of subsidy to all religion if they are travelling abroad as pilgrim. Search it. Dont be so cheap to claim against own religion. Shame on you."
Dear brother Rahim uchil,
Congratulations for getting new responsibility. Hope to see some positive results this time from saffron party towards muslims. Take those comments as challenge and do something good for community. Hope to see you in more and more good positions. Wish you all the best.
Rahim, Uchila, you give answer in Mashara OR jahannam.....who bothers ???? your answer proves that you do not have guts to face the people........ Some one compared you to abbas naqvi and shanawaz hussain...... they married to young Hindu women .
If possible, do one more thing, work for the cancellation of Haj Subsidy..... Owaisi is struggling to put this in Modis Bheja, but it is not going.... try your best and tell the Muslims, that Allah do not need the haj from us with the begging from Indian govt.
Congratulations brother.
Masha Allah. Congrats Rahim Uchil. You are doing good job. BJP is far better than Congress and Rahim Uchil is far better than all Congress leaders from the coastal. He is a pious Muslim and a die hard fan of internationally acclaimed scholar Shaikh AP Abubakar Musliyar.
My message to Rahim sir: Dont care wahhabis and salafis. Our prophet has said muslims will be divided into 73 sects and only one will enter jannah. Who knows that sect might be the one which is with BJP!
Good answer brother Rahim Uchil. Dont care about jealousy people. We are all with you. In fact this news portal has more Wahhabi commentors. Just dont care them. Let them keep blaming. As Rohan sir rightly said, you may one day become a minister. Then those who are blaming you now, will be at ur threshold for your permission to bring their zakir naik to mangaluru. hahaha.
Bjp and RSS is behind minorities and daliths, they are doing every efforts to curb these two relegion. Their paid servants are asking our leaders head for lacs of rupees. So any one who go behind these RSS is not our men. He is against our relegion and against us.
I really dont understand why some people are so much narrow minded. he has given some responsibility. Muslims must congratulate him and try to take maximum benefits from his position. Who knows after next election he may also become a minister.
Anyways. All the best Mr Uchil. Go ahead and do good for the society and also for your community.
Just reward for defending communal news paper which published article against Islam and our prophet. He losing religion/people for Duniya's political career.
Mr PK (Comment No.8)
Your name also suggests that u r a pakistani fan. by the way Mr Rahim Uchil is appointed as BJP Minority Morcha vice president. And you are advising him to do the works of Mukri Morcha vice president! thats very funny!
Dear raheem uchil, may allah guide you to understand islam...aameen
Before answering to all the above questions you need to prepare yourself here in this world.
Congrats Rahim Bhai. You are one of a very few nationalist Muslim. We are all proud of you. Hope you will change the fate of ur community and teach them nationalism.
His life style fits into BJP which is built on corrupt foundation. The man never hesitates to do anything crime for personal benefits. This is the quality against the Islamic values.
EFFECT OF DIGITAL INDIAAAA.....
Dear Uchil,
Now that cheddis have given you the certificate for your commitment. from president to vice president.
Atleast save them from falling into the fire.
Tell them : Idol worship is wrong, its also mentioned in vedas (na tasya pratima asti - there is no image of God)
Tell them : There is no god worthy of Worship except ALLAH and Muhammad pbuh is the final messenger of ALLAH.
Tell them : Every deed in this life will be accounted and will be judged for an enternal life of heaven or hell.
Tell them Good deed will take you to heaven
Tell them if anybody did evil... ask forgiveness with God and promise never to commit again. & also ask forgiveness with the person they committed crime.
Tell them :
Dont hoist pakistan flag and blame muslims
Dont create JNU and doctored videos
Dont keep news anchors who decieve public with Lies.
Dont create unrest with false love jehad
Dont create face book page in the name of Muslim identity
Dont catch innocent MUSLIMs and DALITS & torture.
Dont Make bombs, they were already caught many times while doing it.
Dont kill humans for cows. it doesnt look better when we see international news.
Govts are not permanent, tomorrow it may be out of power.. People already know now who is a leader and who is a deciever.. Y dont YOU recognize it?
Another Naqvi or Shanwaz he too will be fit in nothing
Poor Chap what a pity.
I will give answers in mahshara.. In sha Allah
Clearly Cheddis are barking against Muslims and Dalits... and this Cheddi chela blind to see it...
Cheddis are very cunning in deceiving the people including their own cheddi members.
U have already become a weapon for cheddis to fight our own BROTHERS in faith.
They use dalit members to attack innocent which we now know .... whats their fate (Some spending their life in prison and some are on the run to the courts and some even in hideouts)
Only ALLAH knows Whats your intention by joining the haters of Muslims who opening deceive public about the peaceful religion.
Head Master of the school where there is only one master in the entire school.
Congrats Rahim Yachil, Engage Praising R.S.S an BD Goons acts and following kalladka Bhat, you will be prosperous future in National level.
Congratulations Master Rahim, For Saffron Terrorist team Have to Have a good Speaker like you Uchilas keep it up so far you doing great work for Saffron Criminals, you criminals forgotten about Master Chaddi Anwar Manippady, he might have seen this message sure he will do like before how he left our great National party Congiieee!!!!! look like nowadays barking dog never bites.
any way master uchil you lucky man become a member of Yeddianna group.
BJP needs such muslims who are ready to sell themselves for the sake of money and seat though their own people are suffering from this hate mongers of BJP.
I hope this man was there in the sangh parivar processions who attacked Muslims and ransacked their propertities plus places of worship.
Dear Rahim, i could not understand what will be your fate on the Day of Judgement for your injustice to your own people You are supporting the terrorists who are after Muslims. shame on you.
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