NAMCHI, May 04: Disaster risk management – that had always been a priority of the state government revealed signs of its real situation following grim experience of Deekila Bhutia, President to Adarshila Nari Sangathan, Namchi seeking initiatives from state machinery in controlling a forest fire near Nayabazaar, in a place called Khareydara in West district.
Deekila Bhutia reportedly identified the forest fire at Khareydara on 1 May evening on her way back to Namchi from Sombaria. Ms Bhutia thereafter visited Jorethang fire office requesting immediate measures against the looming disaster. With responses of helplessness at Jorethang fire office, she went to Jorethang Thana reporting the forest fire.
Jorethang Thana thereupon directed her to Nayabazaar Thana to report the crisis. By the time Ms Bhutia went around locating the right authority to put off the forest fire, she reportedly came across few staffs of Forest Department of South district who also voiced helplessness.
According to Deekila Bhutia, at around 8 pm the same evening she left for Namchi from Jorethang and till then none from the Forest and Fire Department were seen to admit the forest inferno seriously.
In the information letter she placed at Nayabazaar Thana, she informed of witnessed a forest fire near Nayabazaar and despite notifying Jorethang fire station the latter neglected the gravity of the event saying that they have no relation with forest lands. Ms Bhutia also informed that while meeting forest officials and fire officials, they ruled out possibilities of any action on their part.
With criticisms as such received from a member of NGO (Adarshila Nari Sangathan, Namchi), questions thereof surfaced as under whose jurisdiction comes the responsibility to tame such probable disasters and what should be the apposite protocol for informers of such incidents that calls for urgent overhaul.
Deekila Bhutia reportedly identified the forest fire at Khareydara on 1 May evening on her way back to Namchi from Sombaria. Ms Bhutia thereafter visited Jorethang fire office requesting immediate measures against the looming disaster. With responses of helplessness at Jorethang fire office, she went to Jorethang Thana reporting the forest fire.
Jorethang Thana thereupon directed her to Nayabazaar Thana to report the crisis. By the time Ms Bhutia went around locating the right authority to put off the forest fire, she reportedly came across few staffs of Forest Department of South district who also voiced helplessness.
According to Deekila Bhutia, at around 8 pm the same evening she left for Namchi from Jorethang and till then none from the Forest and Fire Department were seen to admit the forest inferno seriously.
In the information letter she placed at Nayabazaar Thana, she informed of witnessed a forest fire near Nayabazaar and despite notifying Jorethang fire station the latter neglected the gravity of the event saying that they have no relation with forest lands. Ms Bhutia also informed that while meeting forest officials and fire officials, they ruled out possibilities of any action on their part.
With criticisms as such received from a member of NGO (Adarshila Nari Sangathan, Namchi), questions thereof surfaced as under whose jurisdiction comes the responsibility to tame such probable disasters and what should be the apposite protocol for informers of such incidents that calls for urgent overhaul.
