Who started the fire?

M R Manjunath, May 7, 2013, DHNS

Come summer, and State’s reserves face the problem of forest fires. Most of these fires are manmade, and are triggered either by vested interests or by accident. The reasons are many, and so are the methods. 

Dandeli, Nagarhole, Bandipur, Biligirirangana Betta and Kudremukh are the State’s most well-known sanctuaries, which are also tiger reserves. These forest regions are known for their rich biodiversity, from many varieties of trees including sandalwood and honne to a host of medicinal plants. Apart from tigers, the wildlife in these forests include elephants, sambars, deer, bears, langurs, Malabar squirrels, etc.

Come summer, there’s invariably the problem of forest fires. While natural forest fires are part of nature’s cycle, there are other forest fires that are sometimes triggered by man.

Forest fires that occur at a time when the region is already facing drought spells double-trouble for wildlife. The Bandipur region is facing one of its worst droughts ever this year, with all the water bodies having gone dry.

Bamboo, which is present in the forest regions of the State, blooms once in 40 years. Last year and the year before that, bamboo in the State had bloomed. Once the bamboo blooms, it dies. This year, because of the failure of rain, the forest regions in the State are full of dry bamboo. There are elements that misuse such a scenario to trigger a fire. According to forest authorities, the months from February to May call for extra vigil. The reasons for manmade fires are many.

Most forest reserves adjoin agricultural land. Sometimes, farmers trigger fires because they believe that grass growth will improve later, and will provide adequate grazing space for cattle. Then, there is the fear of monkey fever that raises it head during summer. People believe setting fire in the forest could solve that problem. Also, there is the problem of poaching. Poachers and small-time hunters often set fire to leaves because they need to enter the forest stealthily. They try and prevent the rustling of dry leaves when they step on them in the forest, by burning leaves. Tourists inadvertently trigger a forest fire when they throw cigarette stubs. Also, locals looking for honey and non-timber forest produce (NTFP) could set fire in the forest. Then, there are those seeking to avenge punishment meted out to them by the Forest Department, for having chopped trees for firewood. The reasons are many, and the methods are many as well. Forest watchers strive hard to bring the fire under control. The incident of a woman wage worker slipping and falling into the fire when she was trying to douse a fire in the Dandeli forest may be recalled here. The woman succumbed to burns.

It was not too long ago when an incident of some elements triggering a fire in Kulagi range of Dandeli occurred. The Forest Department, on its part, says it is trying its best to create awareness about forest fires and what they do to the ecosystem. Also, to combat drought conditions, the Department has also built percolation pits in the Bandipur region to supply water to wildlife.

Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/330710/who-started-fire.html

Trees, wildlife charred in northern Panna forest fire

TNN May 4, 2013
BHOPAL: A fire that broke out in a forest in northern region of Panna district, about 15km from the tiger reserve, on Thursday is threatening the forest cover and wildlife. Plantations in around 35 hectares of forest near Saharia area have reportedly been gutted in the fire that is spreading towards Amanganj area, said forest officials on Friday.

Making matters worse, the fire alert and messaging system (FAMS) developed by the IT wing of the forest department didn't function, sources said. FAMS uses processed remote sensing data of active fire locations and sends instant alerts to concerned field staff through the SMS and e-mail.

More than 80 forest employees and officials have been pressed into service in the area to control the fire, said SK Gupta, DFO North.

A probe has been ordered by the state forest ministry as there are allegations that the it was the handiwork of miscreants to cover up illegal felling of trees over the last few months.

NGOs blame forest officials for the fire terming it as a planned 'incident' to hush up illegal felling and show expenditures of budget allotted for fire protection. "I have moved a PIL seeking investigation on rampant illegal felling of teak woods from the northern range of Panna recently. The fire broke out in the same area. It's intentionally done to destroy the evidences," alleges Shrikant Dixit, who runs an NGO in Panna.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Trees-wildlife-charred-in-northern-Panna-forest-fire/articleshow/19876054.cms

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve reels under drought

D. RADHAKRISHNAN
Unprecedented drought is keeping Forest Department officials on their toes in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) near here.

Threatened by drought: A sambar in the extremely dry
Moyar part of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
near Udhagamandalam. -Photo: Special Arrangement

Enquiries made by The Hindu revealed that hitherto, only certain pockets would be affected during the dry months, but this year, practically the entire Reserve extending to over 321 square kilometres wears a parched look.

The situation has become a cause for concern to the Forest Department and environmentalists as the conditions could trigger an outbreak of bushfires. Migration of animals in search of water and fresh vegetation has begun.

Conservationist P.J.Vasanthan said that he was seeing the MTR in such a state for the first time.

Some of the animals he saw were conspicuously emaciated. Many from the Moyar part of the Reserve are coming to the Channel to quench their thirst which flows from Maravakandy to the Moyar Dam. Pointing out that sighting of wild animals in the area has become frequent, he regretted that unscrupulous tour operators were exploiting the situation. In the process, they are disturbing the animals. The prevailing weather conditions have made the surroundings extremely dry and leafless.

Since the situation in the Sigur and Gudalur forests adjoining the MTR was also equally bad, the human-wild animal conflict has escalated and instances of elephants damaging houses are being frequently reported.

Stating that earlier, only about five per cent of the total area were badly affected during the dry season, the Deputy Director, MTR

A.Ameer Haja lamented that this year, even perennial water sources have dried up.

In view of the prevailing situation, a plan of action to deal with any exigency has been put in place.

Officials, including 100 fire watchers, have been instructed to be in a state of alert round the clock. Since the fringe areas along the road which cuts through the reserve are highly vulnerable to bushfires, highway patrol has been intensified.

Five vehicles have been permanently stationed in the Theppakadu, Kargudi, Masinagudy, Mudumalai and Nellakotai ranges of the Reserve to enable the officials to respond quickly to emergencies.

Water tankers have also been stationed at convenient places. In addition to the fire fighting equipment in the MTR, special tools to control fires have been procured from Kerala. Fire lines have been extended. In February, four bushfires had broken out but all of them had been put out before they could cause much damage.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/mudumalai-tiger-reserve-reels-under-drought/article4520805.ece

Huge fire in Mumbai's national park near Film City

Ranjeet Jadhav

A major fire broke in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park a few meters away from the Film City in Goregaon late on Monday. Nobody was reported to have been injured in the blaze.

Mumbai:  A massive fire destroyed a huge tract of the forest cover in Mumbai's Sanjay Gandhi National Park on Monday night. The fire which broke out in the forest area behind Film City was eventually brought under control. No one was hurt in the blaze.

SGNP officials feel some miscreants deliberately set fire in the forest to delay the ongoing demolition of illegal slums in the area.

On Monday evening, at around 7 am, the SGNP control room received a call from Goregaon area that a major forest fire was blazing in the vicinity of the Film City and it was spreading further towards the boundary of SGNP.

The Fire Brigade tankers and engines along with the SGNP team rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Speaking to MiD DAY, Assistant Conservator of Forest Santosh Saste said, “It is very early to comment on the exact reason of the fire but I can surely say that this is not a natural fire. Already our demolition drive against the illegal structures on forestland is in progress and we suspect that some miscreants must have deliberately set the forest on fire so that the team carrying our demolition has to go to the fire spot and the demolition of next drive is cancelled. Along with the help of fire department, we have been successful in controlling and dousing the fire.”

Saste informed that a team of 20 forest workers who know how to douse fire are always ready and rush to a location the moment they are notified about a forest fire.

“A team of 20 forest workers is already posted at Loghut hill near Tulsi Lake area in core forest and another team is posted neat Gandhi Hill so that in case if there is fire in the forest area the team can reach the spot without wasting time. We have already finished the fire line work before February 15 and our forest department guards along with forest workers are also patrolling day and night on foot so that such instances can be avoided.” added Saste

According to a report prepared by Forest Department, between 2005-2010, there were more than 350 forest fire incidents reported and around 1000 hectares of forest burnt to cinders due to them.

What Fire Department has to say?

According to a fire department official, “The exact reason for the fire is yet to be known but at around 11 pm we got a call from Goregaon that there is a fire in the forest near Film City. Immediately, two of our fire engines along with forest department reached the spot and the situation was brought under control within a few hours.

Source: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2013/mar/050313-huge-fire-in-mumbais-national-park-near-film-city.htm

Wildlife sanctuaries closed due to fire risk

K. S. SUDHI
Two wildlife sanctuaries — Silent Valley National Park and Wayanad — have been closed to visitors since Friday following high fire risk.

Scanty summer showers and dried vegetation have heightened the fire risk in most of the protected areas of the State. The restriction on tourism activities and curbs on visitors were enforced at the sanctuaries to minimise risk of fire, said V. Gopinath, Chief Wildlife Warden, Kerala.

Though sporadic incidents of fire were reported from some forest areas in the State, the situation was under control, Mr. Gopinath said.

Fire prevention measures carried out annually, including the clearing of fire tracts and posting of fire watchers, whad been completed. However, shortage of manpower was a major problem. The department had 2,000 regular employees to protect the 11,000 sq.km of forest area in the State, said Mr. Gopinath.

221 incidents

Last year, 221 incidents of forest fire were reported in Kerala between January 1, 2012 and May 31, according to the statistics collected by the Forest Survey of India. Idukki accounted for the most number of incidents last year with 56 fire outbreaks followed by Wayanad (17) and Pathanamthitta (16). Large tracts of withered bamboo have dried up in Wayanad after their recent mass flowering. The dried-up bamboo poses high risk to wildlife as well as human habitations. A recent meeting of the State Wildlife Advisory Board had decided to approach the National Board for cutting down the bamboo. The board has estimated that there would be around 25,000 metric tonne bamboo to be harvested from there which could be sold to agencies like Hindustan Newsprint Ltd. As the bamboo groves are located inside the sanctuary, the permission of the national board is required for cutting them down, said Roy P. Thomas, Divisional Forest Officer, Wayanad.

In Silent Valley, large tracts of grass have dried up along the forest route from Mukkali to Sairandhri. Heavy dust covers the area as vehicles pass through the parched tracts. The management of the park had also suggested its closure during the summer months. The park will remain closed for two months, a park official said. As the waterholes inside the protected areas have dried up, animals have started leaving the forest area in search of water and foraying into human habitations. An elephant was spotted on a road near the sanctuary last week, the official said.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/wildlife-sanctuaries-closed-due-to-fire-risk/article4473415.ece

Major forest fire on Lower Palani hills

Hundreds of different types of trees destroyed
A forest fire that raged on Tuesday night destroyed hundreds of different types of trees, mostly rare and endangered species and medicinal plants, in the reserve forests on the Lower Palani Hills, damaging bio-diversity and wiping out the livelihood of many tribal communities.

The fire destroyed trees at the ninth hairpin bend on the Palani-Kodaikanal ghat road near Saverikadu. It quickly spread to other parts of the forests reducing trees, plants and herbs spread over many acres to ash. Smoke and flames filled the hill tracks. Wildlife perished, according to Santhanam Krishnan, a farmer, who brought vegetables to Palani market from Vada Kavunji in Kodaikanal in a van. Many other heavy vehicle drivers and tourist cab operators from Kodaikanal also struggled to cross this stretch. They returned to Saverikadu as dense smoke affected visibility.

Forest officials drew the ire of tribal people and corporation bus drivers waiting at the affected site. When one of the drivers informed Palani forest officials about the fire, they reportedly said that the area under fire was not under their control and asked him to contact the Kodaikanal forest office. In turn, Kodaikanal officials advised him to convey the message to the Udumalpet forest office, who said that the area was under the control of a sanctuary. No forest officials came to the spot, said Kannan of Kombaikadu, a nearby village.

The blaze reportedly subsided on its own.

How to handle forest fires

R. Krishna Kumar

These are testing times for the Forest Department which is grappling with an increase in the frequency of
wild animals straying into the human landscape and the breaking out of forest fires.— Photos: M.A. Sriram

The authorities in Nagarhole wildlife sanctuary have burnt vegetation along the safari routes which is the traditional method of containing forest fires from spreading in case of a conflagration.

This is reckoned to be a practical way of containing forest fires as controlled burning of vegetation done in winter ensures that in case of a fire, there is no scope for flames to spread beyond the bald patch of land cleared of vegetation, termed as “fire line”. In Nagarhole alone about 1,700 hectares of vegetation has been cleared and burnt as part of fire-fighting measures. Wildlife activists have pleaded for roping in the local community and to appoint unemployed youth to the posts of fire spotters and watchers and thus gain their confidence. Funding is not an issue to save the forests from fires and there is adequate corpus to be drawn from the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority.

Meanwhile, Wildlife First, an NGO advocating conservation issues, has called for a ban on civic-related work so that the resources, both monetary and human, could be channelised towards fire protection work.

Also on the anvil are slots on radio and television appealing for the local community’s cooperation. For, the key to containing forest fires is to prevent them in the first place.

Though Bandipur and Nagarhole are prone to forest fires, the frequency of their occurrence can spell ruin to this rich habitat that is home to tigers, elephants, leopards, dholes, sambhars, spotted deer and scores of other exotic animals and birds. These two landscapes have also been recognised by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) as India’s best tiger and elephant landscape and hence merit all efforts to balance wildlife conservation with the local community’s economic and survival imperatives.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-districtplus/how-to-handle-forest-fires/article4394926.ece

Severe drought raises red alert on forest fires

KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL

Forest streams and water sources are quickly drying up

• District has a forest area of 305.6251 square km
• DFO responds to questions raised in Assembly

The Kozhikode Divisional Forest Office (DFO) has raised a red alert on the probability of forest fires owing to severe drought-like conditions here.

The district has a total forest area of 305.6251 square km spread across Kuttiadi, Thamarassery and Peruvannamazhi located in Vadakara, Kozhikode and Koyilandy taluks, respectively.

In a letter to the Chief Forest Conservator, North Kerala, Kannur, the office said forest streams and other water sources were quickly drying up due to the severe drought conditions this year.

Bamboo forests

Due to this, parched bushes, bamboo forests and grass lands here were sitting ducks for forest fires this summer.

The letter, dated February 4, 2013, was in response to a series of questions posed in the Legislative Assembly on whether drought conditions this year would trigger forest fires, and what steps the forest department had taken taken to prevent and control such occurrences.

They had also asked about the amount spent on special programmes in connection with forest fires during this financial year.

To the poser about the preventive measures, the DFO’s response was clichéd at best, containing the usual steps such as building a protective fire line after identifying high-risk forest areas, employing fire protection mazdoors on daily wages, and using Vana Samrakshana Samithis on the field.

Awareness classes

The DFO’s response also mentioned the ongoing awareness classes for people living in forest borders, school students and other. Besides this, it said notices on forest fire preventive and safety measures had been distributed along with frequent “mike announcements”.

“Over and above the use of traditional fire-fighting mechanisms, modern fire-fighting equipments has been accessed from 2011-12. Besides this, steps have been taken for daily monitoring of forest fire prevention at the range and division levels,” the DFO said.

To the Assembly’s question about the amount used up for forest fire protection work, the reply simply said that work was being done in a “time-bound and vigilant manner”.

Fund not enough

But sources in the DFO said that fund allocation for fighting forest fire was not enough. Only Rs.2.75 lakh was allocated under the head “fire protection” in 2012-13 for Kozhikode division during this financial year.

This was followed by another Rs.1 lakh allocated under the head ‘Regeneration of degraded forests’; Rs.3 lakh under the head ‘Participatory Forest Management’; and Rs.5 lakh allowed as per the recommendations of the 13{+t}{+h}Finance Commission to strengthen fire fighting.

Besides this, Rs.50,000 was allotted for “mobile fire gangs”, while Rs.20,000 was set aside for conducting the awareness classes for people living near forest areas.

Fire line

But DFO sources said Rs.1.5 lakh was allocated for creating the protective fire line. Protection mazdoors had been hired for a daily wages of Rs.290 a day as “watchers”.

They said forest fire prevention mechanism was kick-started on January 15 itself.

Fine and imprisonment

Causing forest fires would attract imprisonment from one to five years and a fine ranging from Rs.1,000 to Rs.5,000 under the Kerala Forest Act .

The penalty under the Wildlife Protection Act would be three years’ imprisonment and a fine up to Rs.25,000.

About 50 hectares of forest land was destroyed by fire in the Kozhikode division in 2011.

In 2012, three instances of fire had claimed 1.25 hectares of forest land.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/severe-drought-raises-red-alert-on-forest-fires/article4384628.ece

Vigil stepped up following bush fire near Ooty

D. RADHAKRISHNAN

Prompt action:The bush fire that broke out above
Valley View near Udhagamandalam on Monday.
—Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

Vigil on the disaster management front particularly with regard to bush fires has been stepped up following the occurrence of a bush fire on a hill at Valley View, near here, on Monday.

The fire just above the Hanuman temple was noticed late in the afternoon and immediately personnel of the forest, police and fire and rescue services departments swung into action to extinguish it.

Speaking to The Hindu, forest department sources said that about one hectare of forest land had been affected by the blaze.

Suspecting carelessness on the part of some smoker to be the cause of the fire, they hoped that the people would help the department prevent such fires.

With Summer and the tourist season round the corner, “the threat of bush fires keeps us on our toes,” they said and added that without the cooperation of the people such fires cannot be prevented. The people in general and tourists in particular should exercise utmost caution while passing through forests. On no account should they light match sticks or smoke. Items, which can be ignited easily should not be taken into the forests. Roadside cooking should be avoided.

In the event of bush fires breaking out due to the carelessness of the people, the consequences would be catastrophic. Irreparable damage would be done to the forest wealth.

In addition to charring the flora, bush fires would cause the death of wildlife in different forms.

The lives of people residing in the vicinity would also be placed in jeopardy. Since it is the duty of all sections of the society to protect the forests, if anyone came across signs of a bush fire breaking out they should put it out. They should also inform the nearest forest official.

The practice of burning dry grazing areas in or near forests for facilitating fresh growth of grass would be viewed seriously.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/vigil-stepped-up-following-bush-fire-near-ooty/article4380831.ece

Hosing down forest fire threat

E.M. MANOJ

Gruelling summer can touch off blaze in the woods

Fire work:Forest fire watchers making fire lines on the
border of the Chethalayath forest range under the
 South Wayanad forest division in the district.
— Photo: E.M. Manoj.

The dry weather is keeping the Forest and Wildlife Department on its toes as the coming summer can touch off fires in the forests of Wayanad.

The dry bamboo groves are posing a serious threat to the wildlife habitat this year, Roy P. Thomas, Wildlife Warden, says. He has proposed to the State Wildlife Board that the dry bamboo inside the sanctuary be uprooted.

The department has taken steps to prevent forest fires in the State and funds will not be a constraint, V. Gopinath, Chief Wildlife Warden, told The Hindu . Construction of fire lines, engaging fire watchers and campaigns to sensitise the public, especially those in the villages on the fringes of the forest, are among the steps.

Close to 348.55 km of fire lines have been erected at a cost of Rs. 52.72 lakh on the borders of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, where wild animals from all over the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve come to slake their thirst during the summer, sources say.

As many as 234 fire protection watchers, 66 of them on permanent service, have been appointed.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/hosing-down-forest-fire-threat/article4334637.ece

‘Reach out to local communities to prevent forest fires’

Advocacy group submits memorandum to the Forest Department

The Forest Department has been urged to hire people from the local communities as fire watchers in view of a prolonged dry season and the threat of forest fire in national parks.

It has also been suggested that funding could be sought from State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority.

A memorandum in this regard was submitted to Dipak Sarmah, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, by Wildlife First, an advocacy group promoting conservation.

Praveen Bhargav of Wildlife First told The Hindu that they had submitted a list of suggestions, coupled with analysis of earlier incidents of forest fires, to officials at a meeting in Bangalore a couple of days ago. Preventive steps were described as imperative in view of the devastating fire at Nagarahole last year which reduced a vast swathe of the national park to cinders.

Wildlife First called for a moratorium oncivil works, including “urgent” year-end works that “distracted the attention of officials and eat into their precious time”. It called for closure of designated zones to tourism and pointed out that tourist vehicles could be deployed for fire protection work to transport guards and watchers in a swift manner.

Wildlife First urged the Forest Department to finalise two appropriate fire watch towers as identified in a study conducted by the National Remote Sensing Agency and the Forest Department and ensure their construction within four to six weeks.

Mr. Bhargav called for strengthening intelligence gathering mechanism to identify disgruntled elements who might be waiting to indulge in arson. This could be based on a thorough review of cases booked during the year and other inputs from the rangers and other frontline staff of the Forest Department.

However, the key suggestion to prevent forest fires was to rope in the services of the local community and make them participants in forest management by appointing them as fire watchers.

Mr. Bhargav said the department was receptive to the suggestions and Wildlife First would supplement their efforts in fire prevention and control by booking slots in radio and TV channels . It has been created with the collaboration of Kumble Foundation and the appeal in Kannada, to prevent forest fires, was by former cricketer Anil Kumble, Mr. Bhargav said.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/reach-out-to-local-communities-to-prevent-forest-fires/article4327600.ece

Satellite images contradict Forest Department’s claims

Satellite imageries by the National Remote Sensing Centre have contradicted the Forest Department’s claims that the damage owing to forest fire in Nagarahole last year was limited to a few hundred hectares.

Wildlife First, an advocacy group, said an analysis of satellite imageries was carried out from February 1 to March 3 last year, considering the gravity of the issue and the persistent efforts in the past to downplay the damage and under-report the extent of fire-affected areas.

The results said that an area of 24.5 sq km or 2,450 hectares of forests was affected by the fire, which is higher than the official statistics.

“Long-term data on the location of the fire in Nagarahole between 1991 and 1999 clearly establish that a large area within Metikuppe and Veeranahosahalli range have suffered severe damage with recurring and frequent fires,” according to Wildlife First.

While national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the State face imminent threat of forest fires due to drought this year, no action has been initiated to nab the perpetuators of last year’s fire, they added.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/satellite-images-contradict-forest-departments-claims/article4327601.ece

Threat of forest fires looms large

R. KRISHNA KUMAR

High temperature, depleting water-levels have compounded situation

• ‘We have burnt 10-metre patch of vegetation along the fire lines in Nagarahole’
• Wildlife activists dismayed that some critical posts are yet to be filled

Preventive measure:Vegetation being cleared along
the fire lines at Chamundi Hills in Mysore on Tuesday.

The threat of forest fires looms large over Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks even as the Forest Department is gearing up to combat one of the worst droughts in recent decades.

The soaring mercury level coupled with depleting water-levels has compounded the situation, and the possibility of animals straying into human habitations in search of food and water is likely in the days ahead. The severity of the fodder crisis this year has been amplified by the devastation wreaked by the major fire that reduced a vast swathe of Nagarahole to cinders last March.

R. Gokul, Conservator of Forests, and Director, Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, told The Hindu that the Mysore portion of Nagarahole was dry though there was moisture and greenery in the Kodagu portion. “But most of the watering holes in the national park have run dry while a few water bodies around Kalahalla and Nagarahole range can at best last for another 45 days.”

Water tanks constructed

The authorities constructed a water tank in the Metikuppe range as it was found that elephant herds were straying from their natural habitat in search of water. “It has helped arrest the elephants’ movement and they have returned to the core forest areas,” Mr. Gokul said.

A tank will also be constructed in the Antharsanthe range which has a large elephant population.

However, Mr. Gokul said that construction of the tank had been taken up on an experimental basis. He said that three to four tanks could be constructed in Veeranahosahalli and Antharsanthe.

“But, this will not help all animals because the prey density in Nagarahole is 50 animals per sq km and the requirement of all the animals cannot be met through artificial means,” Mr. Gokul said.

He said: “We have burnt 10-metre patch of vegetation along the fire lines on either side of the game (safari) roads. This works out to about 1,700 hectares out of a total area of 64,300 hectares or 2.65 per cent of the total forest area.”

Meanwhile, wildlife activists are dismayed that in spite of the possibility of a crisis, some critical posts are yet to be filled, which could affect forest fire protection. Sources said there was no range officer in Metikuppe range, which bore the brunt of last year’s fire. The situation is similar at Veeranahosahalli, while the post of Director at Bandipur National Park is vacant. Activists also sought a ban on tourism during the ‘forest fire season’ as this could augment available resources such as staff and vehicles to combat forest fires. Responding to the suggestion, Mr. Gokul said there was no such proposal at present though they may take a call on it later.

In Bandipur, BRT

The scenario in Bandipur and BRT sanctuaries is similar.

D. Rajkumar of Wildlife Conservation Foundation expressed the fear that watering holes could go dry after 15 to 20 days. However, vegetation along the fire lines had been burnt and fire spotters had been hired, he said.

Meanwhile, the authorities in Mysore began clearing of vegetation along the fire lines at Chamundi Hills on Tuesday.


Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/threat-of-forest-fires-looms-large/article4311531.ece

Forest fire extensively destroys greenery on Gunadala Hill

Incident goes unnoticed by all government departments concerned

• “Fires are highly detrimental to the fertility of the soil on the hill slopes, wiping out several endemic species of plants and insects and affecting biodiversity” — Environmental experts
• People living along the hill slopes allege that dry bushes are set on fire by vested interests for quick clearance of the undergrowth

One of the biggest fires witnessed in the city in recent times virtually went unnoticed by all departments concerned here on Sunday. There was a huge forest fire on the Gunadala Hill along the path to the crucifix on top.

The fire which destroyed greenery extensively on the North-West slope of the hill continued till late into Sunday night after it was first noticed by people at little past noon.

When The Hindu contacted officials of various government departments, they simple passed the buck. The Fire Department officers responded saying they had not received any ‘report’ or ‘information’ from either the public or the Forest Department.

When the Forest Department was contacted, the officials said the department had no jurisdiction over the Gunadala Hill. The officials added that the hill was either in the control of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation or the Revenue Department.

Further enquiry revealed that the VMC did not own any land on the Gunadala Hill.

A large amount of the land at the base of the hillock on the North-West slope belongs to the Vijayawada Catholic Diocese and the rest is obviously revenue porambok, which is under the custody of the Revenue Department.

Anual phenomenon

People living along the slopes of the hill alleged that every once in a while the dry bushes were set on fire by vested interests for the “quick and easy” clearance of the undergrowth. This year the bushes were dry because there was no rain for a long time.

Forest fires were an annual phenomenon on the slopes of Indrakeeladri hill, which extends from the Krishna on the South right up to the Milk Factory in the North. Shepherds and cowherds who take their livestock to graze on the hill slopes are believed to be the arsonists.

They set fire to the dry grass so that there would be tender shoots for their livestock after the rainy season.

The practice, however, had to be discontinued with the mushrooming of houses on the slopes of the Indrakeeladri hill.

The encroachers left no way for the livestock to go higher up the slopes and graze. Environmental experts say such fires are highly detrimental to the fertility of the soil on the hill slopes. Several endemic species of plants and insects get wiped out affecting biodiversity.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/forest-fire-extensively-destroys-greenery-on-gunadala-hill/article4306466.ece

Forest fires witness a 100% rise in state

By Yunus Lasania | ENS - HYDERABAD
At the end of 2012, much was talked about saving and preserving the environment, but nature continues to take a beating across the state.

According to an annual report published by the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, forest fires in the state have increased by more than 100 per cent in 2012 when compared to 2011. Officials said a combination of dryness or non-prevalence of unseasonal cyclonic rainfall and deliberate fires caused by humans for collection of non-timber forest products (NTFP) have led to the increase in numbers from 1113 in 2011 to 2357 in 2012.

“Locals deliberately burn up areas, mainly in the Telangana region, to collect beedi leaves and other forest products. Tribals in certain locations burn the area on the ground to collect Mahua flowers to produce beverage or boil it with sal seeds as a seasonal grain substitute,” said PK Sharma, additional principal conservator of forests at the state forest department.

He added that non-occurrence of pre-monsoon showers too lead to the fires as the forests remain dry. Leaves on the ground catch fire due to friction and heavy winds carry the flames, burning up all dry leaves and other materials on the ground, he said.

Although most are only ground fires, they seriously affect the young plants and trees and heavily damage flora and fauna, Sharma said.

The report, which was published few days after the new year, stated that, to some extent, forest areas were encroached and burnt for cultivation purposes.

“Intentional burning is illegal and we penalise whenever we find persons doing so. However, many times, the person is not caught as it is very easy to slip away,” remarked Sharma.

He said if a person was caught, a case was filed and fine amount collected, but the amount, which ranges between `500 and few thousands, is anything but a strong deterrent.

Of the 12 circles under the forest department, highest number of fires took place in Warangal at 352, which shot up from 86 in 2011. Khammam came second with 319 fire incidences in 2012, a steep rise from 115 cases in the previous year.

However, the highest rise in terms of number of incidents was in Vishakhapatnam, where, from a mere 43 cases in 2011, the number spiralled upwards to 191.

“The Boda grass is the main cause of fires in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) and Rayalaseema regions, while the production of Tendu leaves the major cause of forest fires in Telangana regions,” Sharma said.

But he added that only 24 per cent of all compartments of the department were prone to fires, while the remaining 76 per cent were totally unaffected.

Source: http://newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/article1409675.ece