A Briefing on fire safety issues in spring and summer was held at the Government House of the Republic of Tatarstan
Today, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan held a briefing with the participation of the Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan, Ravil Kuzyurov, and the Deputy Head of Supervision Department of the General Directorate of the Russian Emergencies Ministry for the Republic of Tatarstan, Maksim Trushchin. The Head of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan, Ravil Kuzyurov, spoke about fire safety in the spring-summer period in forests of the Republic of Tatarstan, the silvicultural season and the upcoming environmental campaign “Forest Planting Day 2019”.
“According to statistics, the main causes of forest fires are non-compliance with fire safety rules and grass fallen on agricultural land, the Minister said. - Thanks to the well-coordinated work of inspectors, foresters and the executive authorities of municipalities in Tatarstan, it was possible to avoid emergency situations during the fire hazard periods from 2011 to 2018. This year, the fire-dangerous season in forests started on April 15”.
He said that since the beginning of 2019, more than 1,380 forest fires have already occurred in the Russian Federation. The total area covered by fire was over 300 thousand hectares.
“Accumulated experience has identified four major factors of successful struggle against forest fires: prevention, efficiency, availability of material and technical base and organizational work”, Ravil Kuzyurov said. - In order to detect and extinguish forest fires on the territory of the forest fund in Tatarstan, there are 18 fire-chemical stations of type II at forestry enterprises and 5 fire-chemical stations of type III at the Forest Fire Center. The number of forest fire formations is 651 people; the equipment is 319 units of various machinery”.
According to the Minister, in case of emergency, an additional attraction of forces and facilities of the fire brigade and organizations with a total of 2,976 people, which have 612 units of equipment, is provided for.
“We daily monitor the fire hazard situation by space, aviation and ground methods. All information comes to the regional dispatch control center, which operates around the clock, Ravil Kuzyurov added. - Along with this, explanatory work is continuing among the population, work has also begun on laying and updating fire-fighting mineralized belts”.
The Head of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan reminded that violation of fire safety rules in forests entails the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of up to 3 thousand rubles, on officials - up to 20 thousand rubles, legal entities - up to 200 thousand rubles. If the violation was committed under conditions of a special fire regime, in this case the amount of administrative fine increases and will be from 4 to 5 thousand rubles for citizens, from 20 to 40 thousand rubles - for officials, from 300 to 500 thousand rubles – for legal entities.
“In general, we are prepared for emergencies during the fire season. Along with ensuring fire safety in forests, the forest culture season began. This year, reforestation will be carried out within the framework of the federal project “Forest Preservation” of the national project “Ecology”. The project defines two main indicators for the republic: the ratio of reforestation and afforestation to the area of felled and dead forest plantations and damage from forest fires, the Minister said. - In 2019, the ratio of reforestation and afforestation to the area of felled and dead forest plantations will be 61.1%. By 2024, this figure should reach 100%”.
Ravil Kuzyurov noted that within the framework of the forest culture season, reforestation will be carried out in the current year on the area of 2,471 hectares, including on artificial reforestation - on 1,729 hectares, for afforestation - on 166 hectares. Activities to promote natural regeneration of forests will be performed on the area of 542 hectares, combined reforestation - on 34 hectares. Protective forest plantations will be laid on the area of 2,045 hectares.
In conclusion, the Minister focused on the Republican environmental campaign “Forest Planting Day”, which will be held this year on April 27. Near the city of Kazan, the campaign will take place at three sites - near Dachnoe village of Vysokogorskiy district, near Staroye Shigaleyevo village of Pestrechinskiy district, and near Voronovka village of Laishevskiy district”, said Ravil Kuzyurov.