Incentives to forest staff to stop fires

Moving resolutely to control forest fires this season, the Forest Department in Telangana State has directed its staff to book cases against persons responsible for igniting the fires and assured the ground-level officials of State-level awards in case they conclusively identify the culprits.

Research and analysis of data related to forest fires in the last one decade has pointed an accusing finger towards the beedi leaves contractors who stand to gain enormously by setting on fire the dried up leaves and other debris in the forest.

This saves them precious effort and time needed to prune every single tendu plant which yields the leaves used to make beedis.

“Our department is quite serious about the fires in the forest and the role of beedi leaves contractors,” Adilabad Forest Divisional Officer V. Chandra Shekhar Rao said and explained about the assurance being given to staff on rewards for their work. “We are in a state of high alert now as these contractors get involved in setting off fires in the month of April so that tender leaves sprout in May,” he added.

The law related with starting forest fires however, is quite inadequate in terms of deterrence going by the opinion of some senior forest officials. They point out that cases against persons responsible for burning forest are booked under Section 20 (c) (1) of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Act, 1967 (now being referred to as Telangana Forest Act) which attracts a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment and a petty fine of ₹ 2,000.

“Some five years ago, the Maharashtra government tried to pin the blame on beedi leaves contractors. We boycotted beedi leaves auctions in protest which resulted in that government asking us to carry out awareness campaigns in our areas of operation,” president of Telangana Beedi Leaves and Forest Contractors Association P. Vara Prasad Rao said reacting to the move of the department.

By way of a multi pronged strategy to control fires, the department has also launched a vigorous awareness campaign in the villages which are close to the forests.

“In Bejjur, we are conducting meetings with villagers to talk to them against igniting fires in forests besides releasing posters and other material designed specifically for the purpose,” Forest Range Officer at Bejjur in Kagaznagar Forest Division of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district M. Ram Mohan said.

“I too am creating awareness in villages against setting forest on fire in area where I operate. The government has to expand this activity further,” Mr. Vara Prasad Rao added.