Team Herald
PORVORIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that the wildfires reported across the State since the start of summer were suspected to be man-made, even as he admitted that he had received a letter from a scientist alerting the government about the possibility of huge fires from November to April. The scientist had advised them to clear dry grass on or before November 10 last year, but the government had ignored the advice.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said that a former member of the Goa State Environment Protection Council and scientist Nandkumar Kamat in October last year wrote to the government alerting it about the impending phenomena and to pay particular attention to assess all plateaus where huge fires would break out between November 2022 and April 2023, and to mandatorily cut/clear the dry grass latest by November 10. But the government ignored the prescribed deadline to clear the dry grass, he said.
Replying to a calling attention notice tabled by Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar regarding the recent forest fires, Sawant said that the police had arrested one person for starting a fire in the forest and that the detailed investigations are on to find out the exact causes of these fires. He pointed out that the fire broke out at places where there is no human habitation.
He said that the government has taken all precautions to avert recurrence of such fires. “All the fire incident places have been digitally mapped and the State Disaster Management Authority has almost completed a study of these fires and has also prepared a comprehensive site plan,” he added.
Sawant said that though the fires are suspected to be man-made, he categorically ruled out the possibility of developing plots on the forest land. Barring those residing in the Wildlife Sanctuaries, forest land cannot be leased out, he said.
Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane said that the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services attended to as many as 3,751 forest fires in the last three years – from January 1, 2020 to March 15, 2023 and extinguished the fires. The government also sought the help of the Indian Navy helicopters to control the fires while a comprehensive action plan for management of forest fires is under consideration. The forest department has also sought digital support from the Forest Survey of India (FSI) Dehradun, he added.
Most of the Members urged the government to make the Directorate of Fires and Emergency services well-equipped so as to enable fire fighters to reach out those fire affected forest areas which are beyond access of roads to control fires.
