09/06/2026
Chief Conservator of Forests Kashmir, takes general review meeting, Directs for fortification of forest protection measures.
Anantnag June 9, A general review meeting was convened by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Srinagar, Kashmir Irfan Rasool Wani, IFS at kokernag Anantnag to take stock of Forest Protection / SoPs of Forest Protection/ Forest Fire Prevention and Management in respect of territorial Forest Divisions – Anantnag & Kulgam. Attended by the Conservator of Forests, South, Divisional Forest Officers Anantnag & Kulgam, Deputy Directors F.P.F Kulgam & Anantnag, Range Officers, Assistant Directors and Block Forest Officers concerned, the meeting focused on preparedness and response mechanisms of the forest department in view of the increasing vulnerability of forest areas to fire incidents and soaring need to fortify forest protection measures to completely combat any sort of anti-forest activity.
During the meeting, the Chief Conservator of Forests stressed on the importance of proactive measures required to be adopted for combating any sort of forest damages including forest fire incidents and forest encroachment issues. Directions were issued for intensified patrolling in vulnerable areas, Nakas at strategic locations, strict action against forest encroachers and retrieval of forest land from their possession, proper mobilization of joint forest control rooms and preparedness of field staff for rapid response to do away with all sorts of anti-forest activities. It was further accentuated that forest surveillance system and inter-departmental coordination needs to be enhanced for effective management of forests and completely ward off transportation of illicit forest produce. To strengthen the forest protection, the chair directed the territorial officers to submit the proposal for facilitating all beat guards with GPS for patrolling every nook and corner of the beat for effective protection. The chair underscored to submit the proposal for controlled burning wherever imperative but the proposal shall bear photographs with proper geo-coordinates of the vulnerable sites. The chair further directed to impart fire fighting training to BMCs so that assistance can be sought from them as and when required during dousing operations. As a measure to avoid forest fire, it has been directed to remove fodder and fuel load wherever possible from the forest through BMCs and local forest fringe communities. The chair further said that BMCs should also be registered on FSI alerts.
Regarding forest fire dousing operations, the chief conservator of forests stressed on the use of proper protection gears to avert any sort of mishap to frontline staff during dousing operations. Accordingly, FPF officers were directed to facilitate their control rooms with protection gears and other necessary equipments so as to render them readily available to frontline staff during exigencies. Furthermore, it has been emphasized to maintain proper register featuring fire reports at each forest control rooms.
The chief conservator of forests further directed to focus on eco-developmental activities for livelihood generation of local communities and develop close coordination with them. The chair directed to organize public meetings/darbars to connect to people at gross root level and address their concerns which shall pave a way for overall protection of forests. Regarding solid waste management, the chair directed to adhere to latest solid waste management rules-2026 for proper disposal of the solid wastes in forest areas to keep forest ecosystem clean, healthy and sustainable. The chair appreciated the territorial DFOs Anantnag and Kulgam for satisfactory review.
Addressing to the media, the chief conservator of the forests said that it is the prime mandate of the forest department to ensure complete protection of forests and review meetings are aimed at monitoring among other issues, the progress of forest department in the field of protection, retrieval of encroached forest land from the possession of encroachers, assessing vulnerability of forest areas to forest fires and need to take necessary measures to contain it.
