Lok Sabha Question No. 2983 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-28
Subject: Forest Fire
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SHOBHA KARANDLAJE, PRATHAP SIMHA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2983

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.12.2018

## Forest Fire

## 2983.  KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE: SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has released a report Strengthening Forest Fire Management in India recently, if so, the recommendations and highlights of the report;
- (b) whether the Government has prepared a national plan to prevent and control forest fires, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to incentivize communities and forest departments and launch mass social movement to control forest fires, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government is implementing Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme and if so, the Funds allocated under the above Scheme and the reasons for not releasing 4565 per cent of the funds allocated during the last two years; and
- (e) the proactive and aggressive strategy being adopted to reduce incidence of forest fires in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) The  Ministry  in  collaboration  with  the  World  Bank  has  conducted  a  study  on Situation Analysis of Forest Fire and released a study report titled 'Strengthening Forest Fire  Management  in  India'  which contains various  recommendations regarding  fire  prevention,  detection,  suppression,  post-fire  management,  engaging with communities, coordination with other agencies etc. The inputs from the study were  also  used  by  the  Ministry  in  formulation  of  National  Action  Plan  on  Forest Fire.
- (b) The Ministry has formulated National Action Plan on Forest Fire and circulated to all State/UT Governments for taking appropriate action for effective prevention and management of forest fire.
- (c) The State/UT Forest Departments involve local communities, Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) and Eco-Development Committees (EDCs) etc. in  various  forest  protection  and  conservation  measures  including  prevention  and control of forest fire.
- (d) & (e)  The Ministry supports the efforts of State/Union Territory Governments  in prevention  and  control  of  forest  fire  by  providing  financial  assistance  under  the Centrally Sponsored Forest Fire Prevention and Management (FPM) Scheme. The

details  of  fund  released  to  State/  UT  Governments  for  various  forest  protection measures  including  forest  fire  prevention  and  management  under  the  erstwhile Intensification of Forest Management Scheme (IFMS) and the ongoing Forest Fire Prevention  and  Management (FPM) Scheme during the last two  years is given in Annexure-I.  Funds  are  released  to  States  after  receiving  the  Annual  Plan  of Operation and Utilization Certificate (UC) and other documents. The delay occurs due to non-receipt of UC and other documents in time from the State Governments. The Ministry has formulated National Action Plan on Forest Fire and circulated to all State/UT Governments for taking appropriate action for effective prevention and management  of  forest  fire. The  responsibility of forest fire prevention and management lies primarily with the respective State/UT Governments.

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## ANNEXURE-I

ANNEXURE  REFFERED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (d)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  No.  2983  DUE  FOR  28.12.2018  REGARDING  FOREST FIRE ASKED BY KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE AND SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA

| S. No.            | States            | 2016-17 (Released)   | 2017-18 (Released)   |
|-------------------|-------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| Other States      | Other States      |                      |                      |
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh    | 0.00                 | 0.00                 |
| 2                 | Bihar             | 88.59                | 75.00                |
| 3                 | Chhattisgarh      | 211.04               | 168.00               |
| 4                 | Gujarat           | 122.26               | 75.00                |
| 5                 | Goa               | 0.00                 | 0.00                 |
| 6                 | Haryana           | 93.91                | 75.00                |
| 7                 | Himachal Pradesh  | 331.36               | 276.70               |
| 8                 | Jammu &Kashmir    | 95.61                | 75.00                |
| 9                 | Jharkhand         | 199.63               | 105.00               |
| 10                | Karnataka         | 203.27               | 105.00               |
| 11                | Kerala            | 163.65               | 234.53               |
| 12                | Madhya Pradesh    | 281.15               | 168.00               |
| 13                | Maharashtra       | 372.58               | 321.58               |
| 14                | Orissa            | 266.14               | 168.00               |
| 15                | Punjab            | 0.00                 | 75.00                |
| 16                | Rajasthan         | 174.22               | 105.00               |
| 17                | Tamil Nadu        | 74.29                | 105.00               |
| 18                | Telangana         | 0.00                 | 105.00               |
| 19                | Uttar Pradesh     | 139.72               | 75.00                |
| 20                | Uttarakhand       | 304.03               | 168.00               |
| 21                | West Bengal       | 92.83                | 75.00                |
|                   | Total             | 3214.28              | 2554.81              |
| NE &Sikkim        | NE &Sikkim        |                      |                      |
| 1                 | Assam             | 0                    | 0.00                 |
| 2                 | Arunachal Pradesh | 181.34               | 102.00               |
| 3                 | Manipur           | 125.02               | 219.88               |
| 4                 | Meghalaya         | 126.57               | 104.63               |
| 5                 | Mizoram           | 131.29               | 90.59                |
| 6                 | Nagaland          | 170.01               | 92.56                |
| 7                 | Sikkim            | 119.73               | 148.59               |
| 8                 | Tripura           | 190.76               | 66.00                |
|                   | Total             | 1044.72              | 824.25               |
| Union Territories | Union Territories |                      |                      |
| 1                 | A &NIslands       | 56.23                | 9.00                 |
| 2                 | Chandigarh        | 74.52                | 8.00                 |
| 3                 | D&N Haveli        | 0.00                 | 0.00                 |
| 4                 | Daman &Diu        | 0.00                 | 0.00                 |
| 5                 | Lakshadweep       | 0.00                 | 0.00                 |
| 6                 | New Delhi         | 50.00                | 30.00                |
| 7                 | Pondicherry       | 0.00                 | 30.00                |
|                   | Total             | 180.75               | 77.00                |
|                   | Grand Total       | 4439.75              | 3456.06              |