Rajouri: Multiple incidents of forest fire in different parts of Rajouri in the last couple of days have caused damage to forest cover,forcing authorities to conduct a mock drill on controlling fire incidents.
As per details from officials, it has come to fore that both in Rajouri and Nowshera forest divisions in Rajouri district, dozens of forest fire incidents have taken place in the last couple of days. Officials said these incidents are witnessing a rise due to the dry season amid no rainfall since last one week.
They said that the cause of these forest fires are both natural and man-made but flames spread rapidly in the forest belt amid dry season causing widespread damages.
Officials further said that staff of Fire and Emergency Services have of late conducted dozens of fire fighting operations in the last one week to control these forest fires.
Meanwhile, district administration Rajouri along with the staff of Forest Department conducted a mock drill on forest fire amid increase in such incidents. A team headed by Deputy Commissioner Rajouri alongwith Divisional Forest Officer Rajouri and staff of Forest Protection Force conducted the mock drill in Sawni forest area of Rajouri where multiple fire incidents have taken place in recent days. The drill was conducted through file tenders of fire and emergency department headed by fire station officer Maqbool Hussain.