Staff shortage impeding forest fire management in Jiribam
Source: Chronicle News Service

Jiribam, May 10 2025: An awareness programme on the formation of Village Forest Fire Committees was organised by Jiribam Forest Division at its Uchathol campus, on Friday.

The programme was attended by Jiribam divisional forest officer Elangbam Nirmala Chanu and Jiri College assistant professor L Jaminikanta as chief guest and guest of honour respectively.

Speaking on the occasion, Nirmala highlighted the various causes of forest fires, pointing out that the primary reason for forest fires in Manipur is the practice of burning forest areas for jhum cultivation.

Staff shortage impeding forest fire management in Jiribam

Since jhum cultivation is a livelihood for many hill communities, controlling forest fires becomes a challenging task, conceded the forest officer.

She also noted that public awareness about the harmful effects of forest fires is very limited as many believe that new trees will naturally grow after burning the forest, unmindful of the fact that repeated burning depletes the soil and hinders the healthy growth of plants and trees.

To address the issue, she mentioned that the Manipur State Action Plan on Forest Fire (2022-2027) has been implemented, under which involvement and cooperation of local villagers are sought to help prevent and control forest fires, with efforts made to encourage community participation.

Nirmala further shared that 15 Village Forest Fire Committees were formed in the Jiribam district last year, and the target for this year is to establish 25 more.

She also pointed out the severe shortage of field staff in the Jiribam Forest Division.

Out of the 70 required positions, only 14 field staff are currently available, making forest fire management extremely difficult.

Therefore, the support of the Village Forest Fire Committees is crucial, Nirmala maintained.

Personnel from the Manipur Fire Service also conducted a demonstration on fire control Techniques.

The Jiribam Fire Service Station OC urged the public to promptly report any fire incidents to the fire department.