20 divisions of Chir Pine forestsidentified to set up pellet plants

Dehradun: The Uttarakhand forest department initiated a project to collect Chir Pine needles and identified 20 divisions which will have their own briquetting unit to process the collected biomass. The primary goal is to minimise the fuel load on Chir Pine forest floors, as the inflammable needles are known to spread forest fires. The forest department anticipates that clearing pine needles will lead to a reduction in forest fires.The project will provide employment to villagers near these forests who will collect and process pine needles in their division’s unit. The 20 forest divisions include Mussoorie, Chakrata, Pithoragarh, Almora, Ramnagar, Uttarkashi, Haldwani, Tehri, and Pauri, among others.
Dhananjai Mohan, head of forest force, said, “It’s necessary to establish at least one briquette/pellet unit in each pine-covered range. It’s a winning proposition for the department as well as community as we will conserve forests together.”