Uttarakhand plans reward scheme of up to Rs 1 lakh to strengthen fight against forest fires

DEHRADUN: As forest fire incidents continue to spread rapidly across the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand, the state government is preparing to introduce a reward scheme aimed at encouraging public participation in forest fire prevention and control efforts, officials said on Tuesday.

Under the proposed initiative, individuals and teams performing exceptional work in extinguishing and preventing forest fires would be rewarded with cash prizes of up to Rs 1 lakh.

The details were shared during a press conference organised by the Uttarakhand Forest Department, where Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Fires) Sushant Patnaik presented an extensive overview of the state's 'Forest Fire Control and Management 2026' strategy.

Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal and Head of the Forest Department Ranjan Mishra were also present during the briefing.

Patnaik stated that Uttarakhand has been witnessing a steady increase in forest fire incidents due to factors such as rising global temperatures, prolonged dry spells, erratic monsoon patterns and climatic phenomena including El Nino.

He said the India Meteorological Department's Meteorological Centre in Dehradun has already forecast a further rise in temperatures and dry weather conditions in the coming days, increasing the possibility of additional forest fire incidents.

"Amidst the continuously rising incidents of forest fires in Uttarakhand, the state government will soon submit a proposal to introduce a reward scheme for those who help protect forests from fire. Teams and individuals who perform exceptional work in extinguishing and preventing forest fires will be awarded prizes of up to Rs 1 lakh. Additionally, prizes worth Rs 75,000 and Rs 51,000 have also been designated," Patnaik said.

During a presentation, officials revealed that over the last decade, Uttarakhand recorded a total of 14,638 forest fire incidents affecting nearly 23,682.77 hectares of forest land.

The department stated that during this period, 35 people lost their lives and another 76 sustained injuries in forest fire-related incidents.

According to the data presented, 394 forest fire incidents have already been reported in 2026, impacting around 331.12 hectares of land, while one human fatality has been recorded so far this year.

Patnaik also pointed out that the Uttarakhand government had categorised forest fires as a "natural calamity" as early as 2003.

"The Forest Department is actively pursuing efforts to control forest fires through collaboration with various organisations, local communities, and public awareness campaigns," he said.

Officials shared that the reserved forest area under the control of the Forest Department spans 25,138.1814 square kilometres, while Civil and Panchayat forest areas together account for 3,890.526 square kilometres, constituting approximately 15.45 per cent of the total forest area in the state.

At present, Uttarakhand has 11 Regional Forest Circles, 43 Forest Divisions, 283 Ranges and 2,393 Beats functioning across the state. In addition, a total of 11,217 Forest Panchayats have been constituted for local forest management and protection.

To strengthen forest fire response mechanisms, the department has established an Integrated Command and Control Centre at the headquarters level. Across the state, authorities have also set up 1,438 crew stations, 40 master control rooms and 174 fire watcher towers.

Officials said communication infrastructure has also been upgraded with 45 wireless repeater sets, 488 base sets, 1,548 walkie-talkie handsets, 248 mobile sets and 1,507 GPS sets being deployed for monitoring and emergency coordination.

The department stated that 13,085.03 kilometres of fire lines have been prepared throughout the state as part of fire containment measures.

As per the Forest Fire Risk Zonation Mapping, districts including Almora, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarkashi, Nainital and Pithoragarh have been categorised as highly sensitive in terms of forest fire vulnerability.

The Forest Department has also introduced an IVRS service accessible through the helpline number 1926, along with the 'Uttarakhand Forest Fire' mobile application for public reporting and awareness.