ISLAMABAD - The Environment Wing of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is fully equipped to cope with the incidents of fires on Margalla Hills, said CDA Director General (Environment) Dr Sheikh Suleman. April 15 to July 15 is the most crucial period, during which the dry grass and bushes on either side of the Margalla catch fire due the scorching sunlight, said Dr Sheikh, adding that the same often spreads to the pine trees on top of the hills. However, contrary to the past, now we have planned a comprehensive strategy for coping with any incident of firebreak out at the hills. The strategy, he elaborated, involved preventive measures, early detection and quick response through a communication network spread from the top of the hills to Shakarparian mound. The preventive measures included a two-metre wide fire lines drawn at various places on the hills from which the bushes and grasses are cleared off in winter season, said Dr Sheikh, who is a seasoned environmentalist. This not only prevent the fire from spreading further but also provide a track for pedestrians and the fire fighters during their operation, he maintained. Similarly, signboards are fixed at various places of the hills where visitors go for picnic for the awareness of the public, requesting them not to throw matches, cigarettes or some other inflammable material to prevent the unwanted incidents from happening, he said. Pamphlets are also distributed in the nearby recreational spots for the same purpose, the environmentalist informed. Every time in fire incidents, the time factor remains the most important one, Dr Sheikh said, adding that a detection and quick response system has been set up with 17 pickets from Nixon Monument at the hill's foots to Pir Sohawa on the top, including one at Shakarparian. Three hundred fire fighters remain on high alert during the three-month crucial period in these pickets, each of which is provided with two wireless sets for effective communication, he informed. Besides, mobile units provided with motorbikes have also been set up to assist in operation, while a control room at the F-9 Park controls the whole operation, he further said. Almost every part of the Margalla hills can be seen from Shakarparian, Dr Sheikh said. If the men at the Shakarparian picket observe smoke or fire at any place of the mountain, they promptly inform the nearby picket through wireless, where from the fire fighters rush to the place and extinguish the fire. They can also call in other pickets for help if the fire is getting out of their control, CDAs DG Environment explained. He further said that though they co-ordinated with the fire brigade, yet relied mainly on water pumps and beaters as the water tankers were not effective over there because of inaccessibility. Moreover, he maintained, there was almost bushes and grasses that caught fire, which he said could be extinguished through small-scale instruments, while the hard skin of pine trees prevented them from catching fire. The environmentalist said that 40,000 acres of the Margalla hills was in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), which was fully cared of, but the almost the fire was extended to the same from the Hazara side of the mountain, which, as he alleged, was not properly looked after.