The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, replied to some pointed questions on Goa’s forest fires raised by Member of Parliament Luizinho Faleiro in the Rajya Sabha. It was disclosed that the fire had been mainly due to the conducive environment caused by dry spells, unprecedented high temperatures and low humidity. He said the weather conditions triggered the sporadic forest fires across the State.
The minister goes on to explain that most of the forest fires were doused the same day they were reported. While stating that a 4.18 sq km area has been affected, including a 2.27 sq km area within the wildlife sanctuary, Choubey said that it is primarily the State’s responsibility to manage or fight forest fires but added that the Centre supports efforts by providing modern tools of firefighting besides the use of information technology.
The Union Minister’s reply comes as a surprise to the people of Goa, who are yet to understand the exact cause of the fire, with authorities still giving the finishing touches to the probe and the government and forest officials remaining tight-lipped on the issue. It is a surprise because the political class, including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane and others, have maintained that the forest fires were man-made while sidelining the theory of “wrath of nature”.
Even as the investigations are in closing stages, forest authorities have unofficially maintained that the fires are largely “man-made” but have added a rider that they may not be “intentional”. Experts are more inclined to believe involvement of humans going by isolated pattern of the fire. Against such a strong suspicion, the Central minister’s response squarely blaming the hot and humid weather appears dubious. Choubey has disclosed the total area that was affected, including the wildlife that bore the brunt, but in Goa, journalists are told that forest officials are yet to ascertain the quantum of damage or draw a restoration plan.
A positive side of the minister’s response is the announcement that the Centre is ready to help in incidents of such fires. While Poriem MLA Deviya Rane had raised concerns over the destruction caused to forests in the recent Assembly session, she had asked the government to explore options of Goa having its own choppers and allied machinery to fight tragedies of such magnitude. The State government must avail of all aid extended by the Centre, including the financial assistance Choubey mentioned in his reply.
The Union Minister’s reply, otherwise, is baffling and stands in contrast to the ground situation. For example, the mention of “most fires doused on the day they were reported” is far from reality. In fact, it took the disaster management team three days to move after the first fire was reported on March 4. Moreover, by the sheer inaccessibility of certain forest areas, firefighting faced challenges, and flames continued to rage over days.
A month later, Goa is still awaiting the report on its worst-ever forest fire that left a trail of destruction. While authorities continue to grapple with theories on what led to the fire and have even apprehended one local to give credence to the idea of man-made fires, there is no conclusion yet. It leads us to wonder whether the investigation into the forest fires is lost in the wilderness, or whether the central minister has gone off track. Time will tell.
