Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday chaired a high-level review meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence in Dehradun to assess forest fire control measures, monsoon preparedness, drinking water supply, and public health services across Uttarakhand, directing officials to strengthen emergency response systems ahead of the peak summer and monsoon seasons.

During the review, CM Dhami emphasised the need for swift and coordinated action to control forest fire incidents across the state. He instructed officials to ensure that response teams reach affected sites within one hour of receiving alerts and warned of strict action against individuals or lapses responsible for damage to forest resources. The meeting focused on improving ground-level preparedness as rising temperatures continue to increase the risk of forest fires in several districts.

The Chief Minister also directed the Forest Department to implement the “Shitlakhet model” across Uttarakhand to improve fire management strategies. As part of the plan, officials were asked to develop small water bodies near fire lines, ensure availability of modern firefighting equipment, and prepare a comprehensive action plan to enhance rapid response capacity in vulnerable forest zones.

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To strengthen manpower, Dhami approved the recruitment of 1,000 new forest guard posts, aiming to address staffing gaps in forest protection and monitoring. He also instructed that Van Panchayats and village committees be provided adequate financial support within existing rules to encourage community participation in forest fire prevention and management efforts.

In addition, the Chief Minister highlighted the growing concern of human-wildlife conflict and directed officials to ensure the availability of veterinarians in every forest division. The meeting also reviewed drinking water and electricity supply arrangements, with instructions issued to maintain uninterrupted services during the summer season, ensure sufficient water tanker availability, and expedite repairs of damaged pipelines to prevent public inconvenience.

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