PANAJI/VALPOI
As wildfires continue to wreak havoc amid soaring temperatures, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane on Thursday claimed that strong winds are flaring up the fires.
“We have about 50 people deployed right now in a remote area near Mollem. Strong winds have caused the fire to flare up,” Rane said after conducting a detailed meeting with Kumar to review the forest fires that have so far consumed various hills.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Rane have been suspecting foul play in the raging forest fires. A high-level inquiry at the department level is simultaneously underway to examine what is leading to a series of wildfires. The miscreants are even warned of arrest under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Until 2 pm on Thursday, seven forest fires were active, as per government figures. Owing to the recurrence of fire at various locations, the authorities have scheduled another aerial survey around Mhadei to further grasp the situation.
The minister hailed the Indian Navy and the Air Force for their consistent support stating that “they have been working hard to handle
the situation in coordination with the Forest Department.”
“With the combined efforts of a team from forest, fire Department, and local residents, as well as aerial efforts by IAF and Indian Navy helicopters, the intensity of all seven active fires has been reduced. Adequate manpower is being used to monitor the active fire area closely,” said Rane.
The minister informed that the forest area is separated into sectors, and DCF/ACF level personnel are in charge of monitoring the fire situation.
“Collectors are being asked to activate emergency equipment to put out fires outside of the woods. To find out what started the fires at each place, we've commissioned an investigation. We are keeping a close eye on the forest fires that have spread throughout our state.”
He said the Forest Department has implemented a number of steps to mitigate these fires.
“A 24-hour control room has been set up to monitor forests in real time. Illegal access is prohibited, and forest and wildlife rules are vigorously enforced to prevent entry,” said Rane.
The State continued to report fire incidents on Thursday. As per data released by the Fire Service Department, 822 calls were attended to by the firemen from February 22 to March 8 of which 731 were fire-related. Out of 99 calls on March 8, 92 were related to fire, marking it the highest this month.
