Report filed by the Principal Secretary, Forest & Wildlife Department, Kerala on steps taken for forest fire protection.

The dedicated central scheme on Fire Prevention and Management Scheme (FPMS) offers very little in terms of finances for the state forest departments to embark on anything substantial on the work front. "During the financial year 2020-21, though a proposal for Rs. 19.86 crore was submitted to MoEF&CC during July 2020, only the unspent amount of 2019-20 amounting to Rs. 1.03 crore was revalidated," the report said. This non-release of allocation of 2020-21 is affecting the planning of fire protection activities in the current fire season.