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Forest Fire Control plan is being revised and JFM is being made an integral component of the forest fire
prevention strategy. Use of aircraft and helicopters has not been very cost effective in the fire
management program and the Air Operation Wing is being closed down. For emergency purposes,
however, a provision for hiring aircraft for transportation of crews and water is being maintained. The
Government of India has issued national forest fire prevention and control guidelines. Salient features of
the guidelines include identification of vulnerable areas on maps, creation of a data bank on forest fires,
evolving fire dangers, fire forecasting system, provisions for a crisis management group, involvement of
JFM committees, and efficient enforcement of legal provisions.
PUBLIC POLICIES CONCERNING FIRE
India’s National Forest Policy (1988) presents a visionary strategy for forest conservation and
management and emphasizes protection of forests against encroachment, fire, and grazing. It states that
“The incidence of forest fires in the country is high. Standing trees and fodder are destroyed on a large
scale and natural regeneration annihilated by such fires. Special precautions should be taken during the
fire season. Improved and modern management practices should be adopted to deal with forest fire”.
This policy provides a positive step towards protection of forests from fire. The legal and policy
framework exists in support of fire protection in the country.
ROLE OF EDUCATION
Nature camp participants. Nagarahole Conservation Education
Project, an education project of WCS, India Program
A lack of understanding of the value of the wildlife
reserves among most local people and their
Young minds participate in an anti forest fire campaign.
Nagarahole Wildlife Conservation Education Project
(NAWICOED) is an education project undertaken at
Nagarahole supported by WCS, India Program. Started in
1994 NAWICOED is a community project with the explicit
consequent hostility towards reserve protection goal of supporting stronger law enforcement and in Nagarahole. law
enforcement are identified as a major problem to
be addressed at most wildlife reserves in India.
Arson by local people is a frequent form of
backlash against law enforcement by park staff in
national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in our
country. Such hostility makes law enforcement
difficult and often renders the reserve staff
ineffective. Therefore, educating local people
through outreach activities is very important
THE NEEDS OF THE FIRE MANAGEMENT
The incidence of forest fires in the country is on the
increase and more area is burned each year. The
major cause of this failure is the piecemeal
approach to the problem. Both the national focus
Public education and information on forest fire in India.
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