Almost 4.18 sq km of forest area affected due to recent fire: Centre tells Luizinho

Team Herald

PANJIM: About 4.18 square kilometres of forest area including 2.27 sq km in three Wildlife Sanctuaries were affected due to recent 74 sporadic fire incidences reported in private land, reserve forests, comunidade land and protected areas across the State last month.

This was informed by Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply to MP Luizinho Faleiro in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The Minister said that of the 74 fire incidences reported during the first fortnight of March, 32 fire incidences were reported in three Wildlife Sanctuaries. Though most of the forest fires were doused the same day, the fires were reported in inaccessible and far flung hilly areas and were controlled by ground team with the aerial support of Indian Air Force (IAF).

“The reasons for recent forest fires in the State had been largely due to conducive environment i.e. prolonged dry spell, unprecedented high temperature and low humidity that triggered sporadic fires in the State,” the Minister said.

As per India State of Forest Report (ISFR)-2021, total recorded forest area in the State is 1,271 square km which is 34.33 per cent of geographical area of the State. Further the total forest cover of the State is 2,244 square km, which is 60.62 per cent of geographical area of the State. 

“Protection and management of fire is primarily the responsibility of concerned State/UT even as the Ministry supports the efforts of the States/UTs in prevention of forest fire by providing financial assistance for various forest fire prevention and management measures such as modern tools for fire extinguishing, use of communication and information technology, procurement of fire-fighting equipments etc under the Centrally sponsored Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme,” the Minister said.

The various actions of encroachment are taken as per the provisions under various Acts such as India Forest Act, 1927; Wildlife Protection Act 1972; Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, various rules madeunder these Acts and State specific Acts and rules.

The Minister stated that Mission Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) has been included across the country including Goa, as one of the non-quantifiable targets under the Nationally Determined contributions by the Government of India.

However, no forest area has been encroached in the State, the Minister informed Faleiro.  Two NDRF Battalions have been trained for combating forest fires, Choubey stated.