He emphasized that forest fire operation services must respond immediately to control such incidents and called for greater involvement of local communities in preventing them.
Photo: SNS
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed the Forest Department to make prompt and effective arrangements to prevent forest fires during the ongoing summer season.
He emphasized that forest fire operation services must respond immediately to control such incidents and called for greater involvement of local communities in preventing them.
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The Chief Minister also urged the department to focus on improving the survival rate of saplings.
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During a Pricing Committee meeting chaired by CM Sukhu on Sunday, new rates for non-timber forest produce and royalty were approved. The last meeting of this committee was held in 2022.
Sukhu instructed the Forest Development Corporation to independently undertake the extraction of cedar wood stumps, ending the current practice of hiring private contractors. He also called for the preparation of a roadmap for extracting approximately 10,000 cedar wood stumps.
On the occasion, the Corporation presented a cheque of Rs 41.30 crore to the Chief Minister as royalty revenue earned from the silvicultural felling of khair and sal trees.
He stated that the felling of khair and sal trees, carried out with the approval of the Apex Court, has not only benefited the ecosystem but also contributed significantly to the state exchequer.
The Chief Minister further reviewed various schemes of the Forest Department and directed the timely disposal of salvage trees to minimize losses and boost state revenue.
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