Over 5,000 hectares forest gutted in Gondia

NAGPUR: TK Choubey, additional principal chief conservator of forests for non-timber forest produce (NTFP), has ordered an inquiry into the massive forest fires in Gondia district and sought action against the staff.
Forest department sources said at least 5,000 hectares have been gutted in the last five days. Besides, huge fires have also been reported in entire Bramhapuri forest division.

Sawan Bahekar of Sustainable Environment & Wildlife Assemblage (SEWA) said vast tracks of forest have been gutted due to negligence of forest officials and FDCM.

“Due to the fire, our volunteers saw wild animals running helter-skelter and reached scrub patches near villages where one never finds wildlife. Huge ecological and biodiversity damage has been done due to the fires which are still raging,” Bahekar said.

“The kindling of fires started during Holi.But forest officials, having close ties with tendu traders, neglected fire incidents,” said a wildlife volunteers Shashank Ladekar, Vikas Farkunde and others who were part of the primary response teams (PRTs) extinguishing forest fires.

Gondia deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) S Yuvraj said, “We are still identifying the area gutted. I’ve some reservations over preliminary reports which mention the area gutted to be very small. I will reverify it.”

“I will visit these areas and then fix responsibility. The staff has been asked to take polygons to known about exact area on fire,” he added.

Choubey in his letter on March 22, to CCF (territorial), Nagpur, has said that as per the rules if forest areas destroyed in fire fall under the MoU with tendu traders, then action should be taken.

He has called a meeting with wildlife, FDCM and territorial officials to ascertain the area destroyed.

Senior forest rights (FRA) activist Dilip Gode said, “This is happening year after year despite many wildlife NGOs working in the area. A serious thought needs to be given.”

“There are no fire incidents in community forest rights (CFR) villages in Gondia. Forest department should learn lessons from these villages,” Gode said.