‘Early warning systems to help Jalpaiguri Forest dept combat fires’

Forest fires occur every year during the dry season, requiring additional efforts from the forest department to bring them under control.

The Jalpaiguri district forest department is turning to modern technology to detect forest fires in advance. This includes implementing a real-time alert system and employing fire watchers. Additionally, a fire-blowing machine has been acquired to extinguish fires.

Dwijaa Pratim Sen, the Division Forest Officer of Jalpaiguri Wildlife Division, stated: “Last year, there was a fire incident in some sections of Gorumara. Therefore, we plan to use a modern technology real-time alert system to promptly disburse information about fires. This system operates through satellites, capturing the heat of a fire in the forest. Efforts are underway to connect range officers with the system’s portal to utilize its benefits. Moreover, if a fire is detected, the forest will be preemptively cut, and a fire line will be established a few feet away from the source to prevent its spread. However, the primary focus is on obtaining early information about fires and swiftly reaching the affected areas.” According to the forest department, forest fires occur every year from January to April. This tendency is particularly noticeable in the forest along the Chalsa-Lataguri National Highway passing through the Gorumara forest, apart from the Chapramari forest area of Jalpaiguri district. Forest department officials attribute this trend to some individuals deliberately setting fires while traveling on this national highway. Recent raids in the area resulted in penalising some persons. Nevertheless, more significant measures are being taken to proactively gather information about fires and bring them under control. To achieve this, fire watchers are being appointed and assigned specific areas. Initially, 10 youths will conduct surveillance in different parts of the forest, reporting any fire incidents to the office promptly.