CHENNAI/COIMBATORE/ TRICHY: Two days after a fire destroyed a large swathe of forest in the Kozhukkumalai hills near Bodi of Theni district and claimed 11 lives, the forest department on Monday banned trekking in the state until further orders.
In guidelines circulated to all district forest officers (DFOs), wildlife wardens (WWs) and deputy directors (DDs) of tiger reserves, it said movement of members of the public in forest areas is henceforth banned without prior permission. All programmes, involving public gathering in forest areas, have been put on hold.
No permission should be considered for trekking during the dry season under any circumstances, it said. DFOs, WWs and DDs should critically review the fire sensitivity of the area where visitors are to be taken, assess safety aspects, and should reopen the area only when they are convinced it is safe.
Before tourists or general members of the public are permitted entry to a forest area, they should be sensitised about the terrain, wildlife movement and potential fire hazard and all precautionary measures should be enforced. Officials should ensure availability of searchlights, fire-fighting tools, first-aid kits, water and food for visitors before allowing them inside, it said.
Inflammable material such as lighters and match boxes should not be allowed to be carried inside the forest by the visitors. Officials should check people for such material before they are let in. Forest personnel on duty should take all precautionary measures to ensure the safety of visitors, the circular stated. They can take the help of forest dwellers to alert them about fires and to teach them ways to prevent them, it said.
Following the guidelines, forest officials in Coimbatore banned trekking in both Coimbatore and in the Nilgiris forest divisions. Coimbatore conservator of forests S Ramasubramanian said in Coimbatore circle nearly 113.5 hectares of forest were destroyed in 72 fires in 2017. “This year, already 22 forest fire incidents were reported in Coimbatore circle in the last two months and 34.1 hectares of forest were destroyed. There was no casualty in these incidents,” he said.
In Trichy, Patchamalai hills is the only place where trekking was allowed officially. Here, the department was promoting eco-tourism by setting up tree top houses. There has been good response from trekkers towards the eco-tourism project but it was stopped since Tuesday as a precautionary measure till further orders, said district forest officer D Sujatha. Tourists will be allowed to stay at tree-top houses at Top Sengattupatti in
Patchamalaim, she said.
This part of the Eastern Ghats does not face the problem of forest fire, as most of its vegetation remains green throughout the year. Moreover, a fire line has been created for about 55km on either side of the roads leading to Patchamalai, as a precautionary effort, she said.
The Karnataka state chief wildlife warden also issued a circular about restricting the movemernt of people on nature walk trails.
Theni forest fire
