According to the information available wildfire had occurred in Mhadei-forest, and here and there in talukas across the State of Goa.
Our authorities, suspected forest fires was due to the foul play of miscreants; and were determined to take stringent action against the unknown scoundrels, if inquiry reports confirmed their doubts. Their fears were perhaps because such wide-ranging forest fire were never seen or recorded in Goa’s Western Ghats. Next, their uncertainties continued to think that fire could be caused by weather condition. But here again scientist defied their logic saying that the present weather condition in this tropical region, under humid climate along with the moisture and wetness on the ground, such fire occurrence was not a natural happening.
FSI and SPCC expressed their views: According to the Forest Survey of India, none of the forest areas in Goa fall under the fire-prone categories. The State action Plan on Climate Change did not have any documented proof of forest fires caused due to climate change or human interference.
According to the peoples’ views, doubts about human interference are very heavy in the scale of possibility; due to hill cutting and also, due to advance into the forest land for monkey business. Therefore, people say that forest officials need to be more vigilant and should carry our periodic checks in areas where fires are set to gain illegal access to more land for agriculture. A few say that we should work for our needs not for our greed as avarice blinds and fools our mind.
Wise brains are of the opinion that all through the world, fires in the evergreen moist forest are manmade because of millionaire’s dream. Our Goa’s hillocks are of a very high value for jumbo projects, stately homes; as they are at a vantage point — a tower of strength for the eyes to have a hold of one’s view over a vast area to look at; almost like a bird’s eye view; which is every millionaire’s dream of opportunities. It is for the Government to find out the truth; whether such fire is due to the cruel trap of first destroying the forest trees; then leaving it barren and after that converting it into developing property.
The impact and effect of ‘fires here and fires there’ have destroyed age old trees, herbal and medicinal plants; damage to the environment and ecology which is beyond repair. May be, nature will dress the area after many, many years. Besides the damage to flora, there is destruction to fauna. Wild animals have lost their dens, caves, holes, hiding places and have moved down hill for tit for tat action, to play havoc, to play mischief into human habitats.
Today, it is the greed of money that controls us. But because of a few whose greed knows no bound, everyone has to suffer. Greed for more and more of the planet’s limited resources has brought us to the brink of irretrievable environmental catastrophe. Leo Tolstoy’s story, shows the greed of a peasant who wanted to make the most of an offer by obtaining land for a thousand. He became victim of his own greed. “The evil that man does with knowledge or ignorance, disturbs the natural balance.” Are we following Judas’ footsteps? Judas’s sin of greed ultimately led to his destruction and death by suicide.
