Shillong, Sep 28: The Social Forestry Range, Betasing is banking on local communities to stop forest fires before they spread.
A training programme on fire-fighting and prevention was held at Betasing with participation of Nokmas, students, JFMC and Village Forest Fire Control Committee members and fire services personnel.
Sanchi Tamasil M. Sangma, who chaired the programme, said awareness and quick response at the village level is key to saving forests and nearby homes.
Fire officer Ongkolsing Arengh, SRSO Ampati, gave a live demo on using extinguishers, control burning and safety measures during fire incidents.
Students from Betasing Secondary School and Little Academy Secondary School also joined as part of efforts to involve youth in forest protection.
Officials said the training aims at making villages self-reliant in handling small fires before they turn into major disasters.
