Biodiversity & Environment
Forest Fire Prevention and Management
- 04 Feb 2020
- 3 min read
Why in News
Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has provided information about forest fires management and prevention during a reply to the question tabled in Rajya Sabha (Budget Session 2020).
Key Points
- The area covering 93,273 hectares was affected by forest fires in 2019. However, it also includes “ground fires”, i.e. burning of ground vegetation.
- Forests are a subject in the concurrent list of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The MoEF&CC has prepared a National Action Plan on forest fires (2018) after consultation with all states and Union Territories.
- Additionally, MoEF&CC also provides forest fire prevention and management measures under the Centrally Sponsored Forest Fire Prevention and Management scheme,
National Action Plan on Forest Fires
- National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF) was launched in 2018 to minimise forest fires by informing, enabling and empowering forest fringe communities and incentivising them to work with the State Forest Departments.
- The plan also intends to substantially reduce the vulnerability of forests across diverse forest ecosystems in the country against fire hazards.
- It also aims to enhance capabilities of forest personnel and institutions in fighting fires and swift recovery subsequent to fire incidents.
Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme
- The Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme (FPM) is the only centrally funded program specifically dedicated to assist the states in dealing with forest fires.
- The FPM replaced the Intensification of Forest Management Scheme (IFMS) in 2017. By revamping the IFMS, the FPM has increased the amount dedicated for forest fire work.
- Funds allocated under the FPM are according to a center-state cost-sharing formula, with a 90:10 ratio of central to state funding in the Northeast and Western Himalayan regions and a 60:40 ratio for all other states.
- It also provides the states to have the flexibility to direct a portion of the National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and Mission for Green India (GIM) funding toward forest fire work.
