Ambadi Madhav, Chief Conservator of Forest, Mysuru Circle, said here on Sunday that the Forest Department has to modernise and come out with Standard Operating Procedures to fight emergencies like forest fires.
He was speaking at a function held to mark World Wildlife Day. Tributes were also paid to S. Manikandan who was the Director of Nagarahole National Park and died on this day last year when he was trampled by an elephant in the jungles while assessing damage caused by fire.
Mr. Madhav said an SOP developed for fire fighting will help in better management of the emergency as officials may change but the SOP template will remain the same and assist in decision making, besides saving time. He also stressed the imperatives of filling up 40% vacant posts in the department. Apart from shoring up technical competence the department has to harness scientific knowledge and weather data to contain forest fires in future, said the official.
B.P. Ravi, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Member Secretary, Zoo Authority of Karnataka, said forest fires have existed since human civilisation but precautionary measures could be taken to minimise damage. He called upon experts to share their inputs during the operation in fire fighting rather than doing a post-mortem.
An annual lecture to commemorate S. Manikandan was proposed and Mr.Ravi assured all assistance to get it implemented. Wildlife documentary film producers and photographers Krupakar and Senani were among those present.