Algeria intends to acquire, for this summer, 6 medium-sized planes, specialized in the extinction of fires in order to strengthen its capacities to fight against forest fires by air, indicated this Tuesday in Algiers an official of the Direction General of forests (DGF). To this end, a tender notice for the acquisition of these aircraft has been launched, adds the same source.
In order to strengthen its means of fighting forest fires, Algeria is preparing to acquire this summer, 6 medium-sized water bomber planes, specialized in extinguishing fires. Indeed, the Head of State Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered, on Sunday, April 30, at the end of a meeting of the Council of Ministers “the launch of a call for tenders for the purchase of 6 medium-sized aircraft, specialized in extinguishing fires, in support of the fleet of planes and helicopters belonging to Algeria”, indicates a press release from the Presidency of the Republic.
The Head of State also ordered the Government to “use state-of-the-art technologies, designed locally, for the surveillance of forest areas during the summer season”. As such, Tebboune ordered “the launch of a call for tenders for start-ups for the modernization of tools and equipment dedicated to the monitoring of plant cover through drones, and to coordinate with the State- Major of the People’s National Army to facilitate these vital operations and control this phenomenon”.
Algeria to acquire 6 medium-sized water bombers
Less than 48 hours after the Head of State’s instructions, Rachid Benabdellah, head of the national office for fire prevention and firefighting at the General Directorate of Forests (DGF), announced on Tuesday May 2 that the call Tenders for the acquisition of six medium-sized water bomber planes to fight the forest fires will be made as soon as possible, to coincide with June 1, the date of the start of the national campaign for prevention and Fight against fires.
Guest of the Algerian radio, channel 1, Rachid Benabdellah specified, in this regard, that the capacity of these medium-sized water bombers is 6,000 liters of water. The same official also announced the establishment of a national forest protection committee, made up of 13 members representing various ministries, agencies and directorates general. He explained that this committee’s role is to coordinate between the different bodies to solve all the problems at the national level.
To this end, the official at the DGF indicated that Algeria, which has a total area of 4.1 million hectares of forest, has already put in place for this summer all the means for the prevention and fight against fires. In addition to the various bodies of water, the DGF, in coordination with other organizations, mobilized 80 new all-terrain vehicles (4X4) with a capacity of 800 to 1000 liters, to reach a total of 324 vehicles, indicates the same responsible.
