Question : Forest Fires

(a) whether the forest fires in the recent past few months have destroyed a large area of forest land including properties across the country;
(b) if so, the details of forest fires reported during the last three years and the steps taken by the concerned State Governments/forest departments to douse the fires;
(c) whether according to a Forest Survey of India report, around fifty percent of forest areas in the country are vulnerable to fire and if so, the details thereof including the major findings of the report;
(d) whether the Union Government have provided any financial or technical support to the State Governments to douse the fires; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Union Government to check such forest fires across the country in the future?

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

(a) & (b) Forest Fire occurs every year during summer due to various natural and anthropogenic reasons including accumulation of inflammable materials such as dry leaves, twigs, pine needles etc. Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, disseminates the satellite based forest fire alerts to the State Forest Departments and other registered users whenever forest fires are detected. The details of forest fire alerts issued to all State/ Union Territory Forest Departments during the last three years is given in Annexure-I.

(c) Yes. Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun conducts regular inventory of trees in forests and outside forests in the country under its National Forest Inventory Programme by selecting 60 Districts randomly in different physiographic zones on a cycle of two years. On the basis of data collected from these 60 Districts and data of preceding 2 cycles, information on incidence of fire is also recorded as one of the parameters and estimates are generated.

The incidence of fire is observed occularly in a circular area of 2 hectare around the plot center and classified as ‘heavy’ if more than 50 percent of the area/crop is affected by fire; ‘moderate’ if 10-15 percent of the area is affected by fire; ‘mild’ if the area affected is less than 10 percent. According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2013, published by the Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, area under forest fire under different fire class is as given follows:

Incidence of Fire Class Percent of Recorded Forest Area
Heavy 1.33
Moderate 6.48
Mild 46.10

(d) & (e) The Ministry has provided financial assistance to State/ UT Governments for prevention and management of forest fire 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) during the last three years is given in Annexure-II. Further, 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.
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