Uttarakhand's 'Pirul Lao-Paise Pao' Campaign to Combat Forest Fires
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Launch of 'Pirul Lao-Paise Pao' campaign |
| Location | Uttarakhand, India |
| Launch Date | May 8, 2024 |
| Launched By | Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami |
| Launch District | Rudraprayag |
| Objective | Contain forest fires by collecting dry Pirul (Pine leaves) |
| Involvement | Cooperatives, Yuva Mangal Dal, and Van Panchayat |
| Collection Centers | Managed by Tehsildar under Sub-Divisional Magistrate supervision |
| Payment | Rs 50 per kg of Pirul collected, directly transferred to bank accounts |
| Pirul Usage | Packed, processed, and sold to industries |
| Economic Potential | Pirul used in power plants; potential to generate 200 megawatts annually |
| Annual Pirul Production | 23 lakh metric tonnes |
| Campaign Funding | Rs 50 crore allocated by Uttarakhand government |
| Oversight | Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board |
| Forest Cover Data | Total recorded forest area: 24,305 sq km (45.44% of state's area) |
| Forest Density | Very Dense: 5,055 sq km; Moderately Dense: 12,768 sq km; Open: 6,482 sq km |
| Pine Tree Presence | Abundant in Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Garhwal, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Uttarkashi districts |