Asola Bhatti plan proposes fire lines, rapid response units to tackle forest fires

Asola Bhatti plan proposes fire lines, rapid response units to tackle forest fires

New Delhi, A proposed 10-year management plan for the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in Delhi has recommended setting up three specialised fire response units, creating fire lines and deploying GPS-equipped teams, as it flagged forest fires as one of the biggest ecological threats to the protected area.

Asola Bhatti plan proposes fire lines, rapid response units to tackle forest fires

Prepared with assistance from the Wildlife Institute of India, the 2024-25 to 2034-35 management plan cleared in December has now been released, officials said.

The plan noted that "there is no official record documenting fire-prone areas or past fire incidents, which makes effective management and preventive action challenging".

It also said the "absence of adequately equipped and dedicated fire management units further limits the sanctuary's ability to respond promptly and efficiently to fire outbreaks".

According to the document, the semi-arid stretches of Bhatti and Asola along the sanctuary's fringes are the most vulnerable to fires because vegetation there becomes "highly flammable during the dry season".

To tackle the threat, the plan proposed maintaining "beat boundary patrolling trails" as fire lines during the fire season. These are cleared pathways that act as barriers to stop flames from spreading from one forest area to another while also helping staff monitor vulnerable zones.

It also proposed developing additional internal fire trails through fire-prone areas.

The proposal has said this would "allow early detection and quick response to emerging fires", and the paths would also help firefighting teams and equipment move quickly through vulnerable areas.

It also proposed keeping supplies of fire-retardant chemicals or special fire-suppressing foam, which can be sprayed to slow down or stop the spread of flames, for use in high-risk areas during severe fire seasons.

Experts further recommended introducing a dedicated phone number to receive timely information about fires.

"If made available to the public, the number can go a long way in getting timely information about fires," the plan said.

The proposed rapid response units, one for each section of the sanctuary, would be equipped with firefighting tools and safety gear. Each unit would maintain an official fire recording system and daily activity diary "to ensure timely response, monitoring, and documentation of fire incidents".

The units would include a section officer as unit head, beat officers to lead ground-level firefighting activities, temporary or seasonal firefighters recruited during high-risk periods, and forest guards and existing field staff for monitoring, patrolling and rapid response work.

The plan further suggested equipping teams with walkie-talkies, mobile communication devices and GPS tools for "real-time coordination with the control room and other teams".

"Portable water pumps and hose systems would also be deployed in vulnerable areas, while firefighting teams would be equipped with fire beaters, shovels, rakes, axes, helmets, gloves and fire-resistant clothing," the plan stated.

Warning signs and observation points along the trails have also been proposed "to alert staff and visitors during high-risk periods", according to the plan.

Awareness and sensitisation programmes for communities living around the sanctuary have also been proposed before the fire season "to get their support in prevention and detection of fires".

The plan also recommended regular firefighting training programmes and mock drills "to ensure preparedness and coordination between units, forest staff, and emergency responders".

It said the risk is intensified by "human habitation and settlement pressures" along the sanctuary's fringes, including grazing, fuelwood collection and accidental fires from nearby villages.

It further said these factors "significantly increase the risk of wildfires, threatening both biodiversity and habitat stability within the sanctuary".

The document said the measures would help the sanctuary "detect, respond to, and manage fires efficiently", reducing the risk of large-scale habitat loss while protecting biodiversity and ecological stability.

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