SWAT
Commissioner Malakand Division, Saqib Raza Aslam, chaired a meeting of the Divisional Forest Fire Management Team at his office in Saidu Sharif and discussed in detail steps being taken for the prevention of forest fire.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioners, DFOs, District Emergency Officers, and other officials from the Malakand Division and Swat district via video link. The officials briefed the commissioner on the forest situation in the division and stated that 1,043,691 acres were protected and 671,664 acres of private forest land.
Forest fires are common during the summer season. A forest fire occurred in the Lower Dir district but was brought under control. A rapid response team has been formed, comprising 16 SDFOs, 11 RFOs, 112 foresters, 208 forest guards, 552 watchers, and 359 chowkidars, 85 hotspots have been identified in the division.
Districts Buner, Lower Dir, Malakand, and Upper Swat have been declared vulnerable to forest fire. Geo-mapping of water resources in the division’s forests has also been carried out. The Commissioner directed officials to impose a ban on lighting fires within 500 meters of forests under Section 144 and form separate committees to investigate forest fire incidents and monitor temperature levels in each district. Identify locations for setting up camps near hotspots to ensure timely response to forest fires.
