Forest dept has prepared mapping system to control forest fires: HP CM

The Himachal Pradesh forests department has prepared a mapping system to control forest fires, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday.

He said maps have been prepared for sensitive forests, and places in these forests that are prone to fires have been marked and linked to areas from where the fires can be controlled.

"Though it is not possible to control them entirely, the key is to stay alert," Sukhu said, adding that the department has also constituted a Rapid Fire Action Team.

Wildfires are a natural occurrence but they have become more extreme and widespread in recent years and mass contact programmes can be a key achiever in controlling these fires to a large extent, the chief minister said in a statement here.