PANAJI
The intensity of fires in the forests of Sattari and Mollem including the highly protected Mhadei wildlife sanctuary is rapidly clearing the green cover “ an unfortunate truth for the Western Ghats. The Mhadei blaze has destroyed an approx 350 ha so far with the remaining fragments of forests still vulnerable to fire.
Wildfires are raging for close to 10 days, encompassing more land and at considerable distances in the interiors. Experts fear it can be detrimental to the safety of forests, particularly Mhadei and the hills. With all the resources pulled in to douse the burning forests, the recurrence of the blaze at various burned sites has created a complex situation.
Environmental degradation is a major concern given that restoration of forests is not an easy task. The fear arises amid debate whether it is a human-ignited fire or due to natural causes pending a final report from the Forest Department.
Massive loss
Member Secretary of the Goa State Biodiversity Board Dr Pradip Sarmokadam concedes massive loss to biodiversity and animal habitat. In a quick conversation with The Goan, Sarmokadam said that fire at a bigger scale is bound to affect biodiversity.
“At this moment, we cannot comment much, but if the fires are human-induced, it will badly impact the ecology. When we speak about forest fires, we don’t intend a massive outbreak,” he said, hinting that local authorities didn’t expect large-scale fires.
The Member Secretary, however, added that various aspects of the fires such as the exact cause, the extent of damage as well as which ecosystem is trapped in the crisis will be ascertained after an in-depth survey. “We all are working together to find a way out,” he added.
Rejuvenation likely
after few rains
Former Scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography, Antonio Mascarenhas lamented that the “man-made fire” at Mhadei will scare the wildlife while restoration of the burned sites might be possible in the monsoon.
“Any fire, in this case, a major fire on the ground is bound to destroy and eliminate flora and fauna, and drive away wildlife. The organic constituents at the top will get affected. The soil will turn inert. Bacteria and soil microbes will die. The area may turn into a biological desert,” he said.
Having pursued his higher education and initial career in France where deliberate wildfires were an annual phenomenon, Mascarenhas maintained that rejuvenation of the forests will take a few monsoon seasons.
“We will need to wait for the monsoon for the ecosystem to rejuvenate and possibly a couple of monsoon periods for the trees to reappear. But we need to note that the impact of forest fire is, by and large, reversible, provided the forest is left to itself. Remember that Nature has its own style of functioning. Restoration may be quick or slow. We need to behave nature's way,” the scientist added while emphasizing the need for aerial fertilization.
Long-term
plan sought
Noted environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar echoed the same view adding that the ecosystem’s restoration won’t happen in a short spell. He has demanded that the government chalks out a long-term plan to protect against incidents of forest fires.
“The wildlife and ecology are already degraded on a larger scale owing to the present fires. The government has failed to tackle the issue prior to the current situation, which if they did, we could have prevented the outbreak,” he said.
The environmentalist, who is leading an ongoing crusade to protect the Mhadei river for Goa, has laid emphasis on protecting the water and forest resources.
Crossing borders
Keri-based Vivekanand Environment Awareness Brigade, the NGO involved in mobilizing volunteers to assist the firefighting operation, said the fires have crossed Goa's boundaries to Maharashtra and Karnataka. Its member Chandrakant Shinde admitted that dousing the flames is getting tougher by the day and rain could be the only hope.
"There are many inaccessible areas. The burned areas are witnessing sparks... The fire control exercise won't conclude soon. We have seen that fires have reached Maharashtra and Karnataka forests," he told The Goan.
