ISLAMABAD, April 29: Capital Development Authority (CDA) has adopted pragmatic measures to check forest fires in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP).

Speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day workshop on “Forest Fire, Control and Management” in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) here on Tuesday, Director General Environment, Capital Development Authority (CDA) Mazhar Hussain said extinguishing jungle fires was an arduous task needing proper training and vigilance.

The workshop is being organized by Capital Development Authority (CDA), Human Welfare and Nature Conservation Society (HWNCS) and WWF-P at CDA’s Environmental Education Centre at Damen-e-Koh, Margalla Hills.

Participants from a wide range of government agencies, provincial forest departments, NGOs and local communities are attending the workshop.

Mazhar Hussain asked the participants to acquaint themselves with the techniques to properly control forest fires. Director Environment Malik Oliya informed the participants that the authority had established 16 pickets on the Margalla hills to control fires in the forest.

Mr Oliya said a well-equipped control room was also established where staff members were responsible for ensuring proper deployment, communication between pickets and officials and personnel concerned. He said in case of fire water tankers would rush to the place to localise it. He said an helicopter service was also available in case of any emergency situation.

Dr Ghulam Akbar, Director Environmental Education and Northern Areas (EE & NA) WWF-P, informed the participants that the main aim of the workshop was to disseminate awareness of the effects of forest fires in the national park.

He said the Margalla hills were declared as Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) in 1980 and added that after its declaration as national park, MHNP was facing a number of environmental threats. The biggest threat which results in mass destruction of natural resources is the forest fires which usually occur in the dry hot weather from April to July.

Meanwhile, president Margalla Hills Society (MHS) Roedad Khan has criticised the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for not inviting the society to the workshop.—APP