National Pine-Needle Utilisation Policy Recommended to Tackle Forest Fires and Create Livelihoods

Key facts

• The parliamentary standing committee recommended the formulation of a National Pine-Needle Utilisation Policy to help Himalayan states tackle forest fires and create sustainable rural livelihoods.
• The policy aims to reduce the accumulation of highly flammable dry Chir Pine needles on forest floors through commercial utilisation.
• The committee proposed institutionalising pine needle collection as an annual pre-fire-season activity with adequate budgets, procurement guarantees, and processing infrastructure.
• It recommended a fixed minimum procurement price per unit weight of collected pine needles with direct payments to collectors through a transparent mechanism.
• A voluntary pilot certification scheme for biomass-processing units was suggested to encourage a formal pine-needle utilisation industry.
• Chir Pine forests account for nearly 57% of forest fire incidents in the western Himalayas, according to the report.