ICT plans concrete steps against Margala fire

The ICT administration held a coordination meeting with all the departments concerned, including the notables of local community, to check and take effective measures against any fire incident at Margala Hills during the summer season.
The meeting was chaired by ICT Development and Finance Director Rana Akbar Hayat and attended by the notables of the area, assistant commissioners, magistrates and the CDA as well as the traffic officials.
The CDA officials gave a detailed briefing about the measures taken to check the fire incidents during summer season and informed the participants that Capital Development Authority had established 31 pickets at the Margala Hills while patrolling of the CDA officials had been enhanced in the hilly areas.
It was informed that the officials deployed at the pickets had been provided with wireless sets and the wireless system had been upgraded to meet the requirements of hilly areas. The meeting was told that the local community members had also been mobilized and villagers’ committees of 31 villages falling in the limits of Margalla Hills had also been activated to patrol the area to immediately report any fire incident to the pickets and police.
A control room was also working round the clock in the CDA to coordinate and ensure immediate response to any fire incident in the forest, the meeting was told. Telephone No 16 is also there to report any fire incident to the officials. The participants were also told that the CDA had also launched a vigorous awareness drive among the local community and visitors to ensure the protection of wildlife in the forests. The meeting was also told that there should be no smoking in the area. The CDA has also placed boards on the tracks for not smoking in the hills.
Rana Akbar Hayat stressed the effective coordination among all the departments concerned to control such incidents during the summer season and also requested the local community to play their effective role and cooperate with all the departments concerned.