Daily Times

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) signed a MoU on Friday to establish seven fire stations at Margallah Hills National Park to control the forest fire. Lieutenant General Omar Mahmood Hayat HI (M), Chairman NDMA and Mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz participated in the MoU signing ceremony.

While speaking at the occasion, Chairman NDMA said that besides destroying the green character of the Margallah Hills National Park, frequent fire incidents in the recent past caused a considerable damage to the flora and fauna of the area. He hoped that the establishment of fire extinction points at various locations at Margallah Hills will greatly boost the efforts for preserving natural environment and ensuring safe habitat for wildlife.

Extinction points will greatly boost the efforts for preserving natural environment and ensuring safe habitat for wildlife: Chairman NDMA

On the basis of this MoU, NDMA and MCI have mutually agreed to work together in controlling forest fires. According to the proposed plan, initially seven fire control points will be established in two phases at the Margallah Hills, both in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) areas. In the first phase, five stations will be set up while the remaining two fire points will be established in the second phase.

NDMA being the lead Federal Agency to deal with the whole spectrum of the Disaster Management will endeavor to provide logistics’ support through various sources. However, MCI shall be responsible to provide all necessary infrastructure and manpower for on ground control and operation at these fire stations.