Preventive measures in Jel Agha to protect agricultural season from wildfires

On Tuesday, the Jel Agha City Council, in coordination with the councils of Abera and Kishek towns, held two separate meetings; one in the center of Kishek town and the other in the center of Abera town, to discuss ways of strengthening preventive measures for protecting the agricultural season as the harvest period approaches and concerns about wildfires breaking out on farmland continue to rise.

All committees of the three councils participated in both meetings, including those for "Health, Services, Protection, Youth, and Women," as well as the co-chairs of the Abera and Kishek councils. The discussions covered the current agricultural situation and strategies to enhance field-level preparations.

During both meetings, Fawaz Shater, the chairman of the Kishek Town Council, and Zeidan Hussein, the administrative member of the Protection Committee at Abera Town Council, emphasized the importance of promptly implementing preventive measures, particularly as the harvest season is gradually begining in the region.

In both meetings, it was emphasized the necessity of convening urgent meetings with communes across all villages to inform residents about the necessary measures for protecting the agricultural season from fires and to organize community efforts more effectively and efficiently.

The agreed-upon measures also included distributing emergency and fire brigade contact numbers to residents and communes' groups, identifying locations where emergency teams are stationed, as well as providing contact details for tractor and water tank owners to ensure rapid response in case of a fire until the specialized firefighting units arrive.

The measures also included establishing resident protection teams that operate around the clock on a rotating shift basis, as well as forming youth patrols equipped with vehicles and motorcycles to facilitate surveillance and rapid response operations within agricultural areas.

When individuals are caught setting fires or attempting to burn crops, participants emphasized the necessity to immediately stop them, contact the Internal Security Forces directly, and hand them over to the relevant authorities.

Both meetings emphasized the importance of collaboration among owners of tractors and water containers, via continuously filling these containers and being prepared to respond to any emergencies. Additionally, they highlighted the need to prepare old sandbags for use in field firefighting operations and to support fire departments.

The two meetings also emphasized the need to raise awareness among residents not to litter cigarette butts or other flammable materials on roads, avoid starting fires near waste or dry vegetation around villages, and warn children against breaking or discarding bottles near fields, as this can cause sunlight reflection that may trigger wildfires during high temperatures.

At the conclusion of both meetings, the attendees confirmed that safeguarding the agricultural season is a collective responsibility shared by all, urging every village to take direct responsibility for protecting its crops and not rely solely on fire departments or the Internal Security. It was also decided to convene emergency meetings with local communes in the coming days to implement these measures on the ground.

ANHA