Shimla, May 3
The efforts to douse down forest fire with the help of a chopper has hurt the poor pocket of the State forest department significantly. Reportedly the Helicopter hired to extinguish forest fires has proved to be an expensive deal, and therefore the department has postponed this idea for the time being.
In a futile attempt, recently, the forest department had hired a chopper to take off a jungle fire. However, even though the fire could not be snubbed with the help of the helicopter but instead forest department was billed at the rate of eight lakh rupees per hour.
Now the department’s budget is falling short of paying the huge bills, and the department has withdrawn from this kind of deal. Sources inform that now the department will extinguish the forest fires in the entire state with the help of its employees.
What happened?
After a fire broke out in the Taradevi forest of Shimla district, considering it an emergency, the Disaster Management and Forest Department had decided to take help of the helicopter. A flight was also taken on a trial basis for one day, but the fire could not be brought under control by this flight of eight lakh rupees. Sources inform that actually, the helicopter was taking more time to reckon, pick up the water and pour it on the fire sites. After this, the forest department has postponed such expensive ideas for the time being, and now the department will take the help of a helicopter only in very critical conditions.
According to the department’s top officials, the forests are not the same in the state. There is a deep gorge, and somewhere there is a mild, plain area. In such a situation, efforts to extinguish the fire with a helicopter are not proving effective. Moreover, a bill of lakhs of rupees is also spoiling the budget of the Forest Department. Now in the coming days, the Forest Department will deploy additional staff during the entire fire season.
Ajay Srivastava, Chief Conservator of the Forest Department, said that paying the helicopter fare at about Rs 8 lakh per hour has proved to be an expensive deal. Because of this, the department has postponed it for the time being. In the coming days, the help of helicopters will be taken only if needed in a very critical condition. In all other cases, during the entire fire season, the Forest Department officials and staff will control the forest fire with the help of local people.
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