The raging fires at the reserve forest area at Satre-Sattari have caused massive damage to biodiversity and cashew plantation, leaving a trail of devastation. On Monday, the fires continued to escalate in another part of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, including Chorla and Charavne. The fires, which sparked off three days back, were engulfing new forest areas bringing in more anxiety and panic among locals engaged in plantations in the area.
In another incident at the Dicarpale-Navelim hillock, a fire continued to blaze for well over 24 hours, destroying the land and biodiversity of the area. The firefighting team which rushed to the scene were helpless because of the hilly terrain and had to return.
Forest fires may not have led to human tragedies, but they impact the area's biodiversity, animal habitat, flora, and fauna. Moreover, there is irreversible damage and crop losses to farmers engaged in their plantations. In the Satre fire alone, over 15 acres of cashew plantations have been destroyed, denying the locals their seasonal livelihood.
With the mercury soaring, fire incidents across India have increased. Towards the end of February, 1,156 forest fires were reported nationwide in one week, drastically hitting the air quality index and, in some states like Goa, causing heavy losses to farmers. While the fires continued to rage in Goa forest areas, causing extensive damage to forest property, the sheer helplessness of the State machinery has come to the fore.
The forest fires have once again exposed the shortcomings of Goa's disaster management system, which recently was flexing muscle by conducting mock drills in preparedness against cyclones. While the chinks were showing even in these drills, the unresponsiveness against forest fires shows that the machinery is not ready to fight such devastation. Choppers showcased in the mock drills last week should have been immediately deployed because the affected areas were beyond the reach of the fire forces, and the fire was spreading. Instead, it was only on Monday that the Navy's Dornier aircraft were deployed on an aerial mission. Disaster Management plans cannot be restricted to flooding and cyclones but should also encompass forest fires. Unfortunately, lessons have not been learnt from fire incidents elsewhere in the country.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Goa attributes the fires to the rising temperatures coupled with the fluctuations in humidity levels. Currently, Goa is reporting a daily average of 23 cases of fires to dry grass. What is worrisome is that the State has a long summer ahead where the situation could only worsen. Authorities cannot just blame it on the weather and expect the firefighting team to control the damage. Fighting forest fires is challenging, and the State will need a quick-response plan with active navy and coast guard support.
Also, the string of fire incidents at Sattari has come as a surprise, and a strong suspicion is being raised of 'sabotage'. When there are disputes over forest land, land grab cases, land frauds and even forceful tenant eviction, these incidents must be thoroughly probed. Culprits, if any, cannot get the benefit of the doubt under cover of the hot spell Goa is facing.
