No.96/2021-2022
Siaha; the 27th April,2021: The Siaha District Fire Prevention Committee called for an emergency meeting at DC's conference hall today, in order to take stock of prevailing situation in regard to the recent unprecedented wildfire - what could have caused it and how to stop its further spread. The meeting discussed various feasible measures to stop the fire before it ravages the whole vegetation and forest area surrounding Siaha town and other parts within Siaha district.
In today's meeting, officials of the MADC Forest department gave the suspected causes leading to the fire outbreak, as follows :
1) Re-burning of unburned jhum debris which was usually left unattended.
2) Many villagers and towners, who might have ventured out to the riverside and forest to pass time during lockdown, but perhaps due to carelessness had set off a wildfire.
3) Hunters, who could have purposely made fires inside the forest to drive out wild animals from their hideouts.
NSS Govt Saiha College informed the meeting that, based on the findings of their survey carried out in 3 villages, some villagers neither burned their jhums within the stipulated time fixed by the government nor did they make fire buffer while burning their jhums. It was also pointed out that no punishments had been meted out to them for these offences as yet
While stating their preparedness, Fire and Emergency Services Dept. personnel informed the meeting that permission from Aizawl was required to perform their duties beyond 20 kms from their station and that their abysmally low staff strength also hampered their services acutely.
Consequently, the meeting firmly instructed E&FS dept, Siaha to obey District Disaster Management Authority, Siaha in regard to seeking permission from Aizawl to go beyond 20 kms off-station under emergency situations. It was also decided in the meeting that DDMA, Siaha will write to the concerned higher authority in regard to staff strength.
The meeting requested VLTFs to be more rigid and stringent in implementing Covic-19 SoP, which indirectly will give impetus to fire prevention measures and strengthen the fight against wild fire.
The meeting also decided to constitute investigation team to look into probable causes of the wildfires at various places on 25th & 26th April, 2021.
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