NDRF Forms Special Troops To Combat Forest Fires In India, Training To Commence On Feb 6

Three specialised teams are being formed by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to manage forest fire occurrences around the nation, and training for these teams will begin on February 6 of this year.

Three special teams have been chosen from three distinct battalions, including the 1st Battalion stationed in Guwahati, the 10th Battalion in Madhya Pradesh, and the 15th Battalion in Uttarakhand, according to NDRF chief Atul Karwal.

Training, Supplies Worth ₹6 Crores

According to the NDRF DG, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has charged his organisation with creating a special team to handle forest fire events, a major problem in forested areas all throughout the nation, including states such as Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Hindustan Times reported.

"For some time, the Ministry of Home Affairs was considering the formation of a special force to deal with forest fire incidents in the country. And the job has been given to us (NDRF)," Karwal said.

The first battalion, based in Guwahati, the 10th battalion, based in Madhya Pradesh; and the 15th battalion, stationed in Uttarakhand, are currently being organised into three teams. According to Karwal, these three special teams' specialised training will begin on February 6.

According to the DG, these three teams are getting equipment and other supplies worth ₹6 crores so they can act as a specialised force during forest fire crises. "The team will go through special training, and its personnel will be carrying high-tech equipment while dealing with forest fires," said Karwal.

Forest Fires Major Issue

The 1988-batch Indian Police Service Gujarat cadre officer noted that the NDRF would also play a significant role in forest fires in the future and stated that proper training would be provided to the rescuers under the plan and that the force is in contact with the Ministry of Environment and Forest for this purpose.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change provided information about 2,23,333 complaints of forest fires nationwide from November 2021 to June 2022 during the previous year's Parliament session. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) - Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensors were used by the Forest Survey of India to find the forest fires.

Every year in the summer, forest fires break out for a variety of natural and human-made reasons, including the buildup of combustible materials like dried leaves, twigs, and pine needles. The majority of fires in the nation are ground fires that harm plants. The frequency of forest fire events in the nation changes from year to year based on many anthropogenic and natural factors.

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