PANAJI
The firefighting operation proved to be an arduous task for the forest frontline staff, as they battled raging fires for several hours, some lasting up to six days. In certain inaccessible regions, the fires reoccurred, which required round-the-clock deployment of guards to douse the flames.
Details tabled by Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane in the ongoing assembly session reveal that the Shigao government forest in Dharbandora saw a relentless fire for six days, destroying 20 hectares of land. At Karemol Beat Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary govt forest, the fire persisted for five days, affecting 30 ha of the forest.
The Anmod Ghat at Mollem, Dharbandora, also experienced a devastating fire, affecting 10 ha of forest over five days. In Surla I and Surla II Mollem govt forests, the fires raged for four and three days leading to the destruction of five and four hectares of land, respectively.
Maida Beat Collem II in Dharbandora faced a four-day ordeal, with 3.5 ha of land being consumed by the fire.
The Sangod area in Dharbandora required the deployment of a maximum of 410 staff to control fire in one-hectare land, while in various areas in Sattari, 302 staff were engaged in combating a 9.84-hectare fire, which took hours to successfully extinguish.
