Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has taken a tough stand in the case of four workers dying and as many getting scorched while extinguishing the fire in the forest of Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary under Almora Civil Soyam Forest Division. On the orders of the Chief Minister, action has been taken against three IFS officers for negligence in fire control. Among them, Chief Forest Conservator Kumaon PK Patro has been attached to the Forest Headquarters, Dehradun, while Forest Conservator Northern Circle Coco Rose and DFO of Civil Soyam Forest Division Almora Dhruv Singh Martolia have been suspended. They have also been attached to the Forest Headquarters.
After the incident in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary on Thursday, the Chief Minister immediately took information about it. On the instructions of the Chief Minister, all four were taken to AIIMS, Delhi by air ambulance on Friday and admitted to the Trauma Center. The Chief Minister has directed the local commissioner to make arrangements for the stay of the relatives of the injured in Delhi. Union Minister of State Ajay Tamta and AIIMS Director Dr. M. Srinivas enquired about the condition of the four injured.
On Friday evening, the government issued orders for action against the Chief Forest Conservator, Forest Conservator and DFO. Corbett Tiger Reserve Director Dheeraj Pandey has been given additional charge of Chief Forest Conservator Kumaon. The charge of Civil Soyam Almora DFO has been given to Assistant Forest Conservator of Nainital Hemchand Gahtori and the charge of Forest Conservator of Northern Circle has been given to Forest Conservator of Western Circle.
Scorched forest workers airlifted to Delhi AIIMS
Four forest workers who were scorched in the forest fire in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary have been shifted from Sushila Tiwari Base Hospital in Haldwani to Delhi AIIMS in two air ambulances on the special instructions of the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister gave these instructions in a meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence on Friday morning. Kumaon Commissioner Deepak Rawat said that on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, two more ambulances reached Pantnagar from Delhi for the employees who were seriously injured in the forest fire in Binsar area of Almora, after which all the injured from Sushila Tiwari Hospital were admitted to the burn unit at the hospital in Safdarjung, Delhi. Eight employees of the forest department who went to stop the forest fire in Binsar area of Almora were caught in the fire, four forest workers died on the spot and four seriously burnt forest workers were admitted from Almora to Sushila Tiwari Hospital in Haldwani. These patients were sent to Delhi Safdarjung Hospital by air ambulance.
DM Vandana also reached the spot and met the injured. She said that the officials should help in sending the injured to the air ambulance with full responsibility. The DM also took information from the forest department officials.
Get every fire watcher insured in three days, report sought
After the tough stand of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, now the Forest Department has become active to get the fire watchers, who are playing an important role in controlling forest fires, insured. Additional Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Fire and Disaster Management) Nishant Verma has directed all the forest divisions to get every fire watcher insured in three days as well as send its report to the Forest Headquarters. Chief Minister Dhami had given instructions to get group insurance of all fire watchers, daily workers etc. in the review meeting held on April 20. According to Additional Chief Conservator of Forests Verma, on April 23, all the forest divisions were asked to get the budget released in this regard as well as get the group insurance done as soon as possible.
Fire watchers have been insured in some forest divisions. He informed that now all the forest divisions have been instructed to ensure group insurance of every fire watcher within three days. Also send its report. He said that negligence in this work will not be tolerated.
