Team Herald
PANJIM: The raging fire in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary for the last five days appears to be man-made given the past incidents of clashes between the Forest Department personnel and the locals, who had in the past, set the Mhadei Forest check-post on fire. A clear opportunity seems to have been used by the miscreants.
Environmentalist and Director of Goa Foundation Dr Claude Alvares said, “These fires are obviously man-made, having emerged in numerous patches independent of each other. For decades we faced no such fires. If you want to destroy a forest, you do not attempt to do so in the monsoon. You do it when the circumstances are ripe. People know fires can be dangerous even for their own settlements.”
He said, “There are people living on the borders of the Sanctuary, who have been allowed to encroach upon the sanctuary lands.”
“They have carried out plantation. But if these people have a problem, that should be settled. This way, the entire Sanctuary itself is getting threatened, which they themselves would admit is not a satisfactory solution,” he said.
“You may recall that we lost four tigers recently because the Forest Department was slow in entertaining claims for compensating tiger kills from extremely poor villagers, who have no means of income other than looking after some cattle,” said Dr Alvares.
Giving more details, Dr Alvares said, “The issue is that the Sanctuary was notified in 1999, and it is now 24 years old. Despite this, the effort of the first forest settlement officer came to nought. The government claims another officer is now busy with the exercise. I am doubtful. Minister for Forests (Vishwajit Rane) is against the survival of the Wildlife Sanctuary: this can be seen from a writ petition that he has filed against it in the High Court when he was an MLA and which he has not yet withdrawn though today he is the Forest Minister. That petition in fact is now on the final hearing board. Those who vote for him are aware of these facts. Rightly or wrongly they may feel nothing will happen to them.”
Environmentalist and Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan secretary Rajendra Kerkar refused to accept that it was accidental fire and pointed out that the fire had spread into patches in the sanctuary. When the temperature has arisen does not mean that evergreen patches of fire will burn. The fire has occurred in the areas where there is movement of tigers. Most of the areas where the fire broke out had captured the presence of tigers in cameras. It is coincidental that only the proposed Tiger Reserve has been burnt, he said.
Environmentalist Ramesh Gawas asked, “Do you have any answer as to why such fire incidents have not taken place previously in such major fires? It is a well planned conspiracy. Politicians are behind fire in forest areas. In the recent past they killed tigers and are now setting forests on fire. People who are opposing tiger reserves in the State are responsible for this.
Save Mhadei Save Goa member Prajal Sakhardande asked, “Is the Mhadei fire a conspiracy to finish the battle against Mhadei water diversion? Are the stacks loaded against Goa on Mhadei with the Centre and Karnataka Govt hand-in-glove?
While, former bureaucrat Elvis Gomes said, “First they came for the coast and destroyed it, now they have come for our mountains. Why are the locals silent when the Mhadei fire is raging?, he asked.
