Saving Tamil Nadu's forests from the flame

Forests in Tamil Nadu are burning, literally! It was only recently that a forest fire that raged over four days ravaged many hectares of core and buffer forest land in the Mudumalai Tiger reserve in Nilgiris and Bandipur. But before we could heave a sigh of relief, yet another massive fire broke out in the Sathyamangalam Tiger reserve on Thursday, which destroyed many acres of land. The pertinent question that’s being asked is, why are forest fires happening at regular intervals in the region? How can such large-scale destruction be avoided in the future?

Majority of forest fires are man-made
“Majority of the forest fires are man-made. In summer, people living in the fringes of forest, burn dry shrubs to facilitate the growth of fresh grass for their cattle to graze. When the fire gets out of control, it turns into a forest fire. Some also set forests on fire as an act of vengeance against forest department officials. For example, if someone was reprimanded or penalized earlier for entering into a forest illegally or for poaching, they set the forest on fire to put forest officials into trouble. Many miscreants also set fire to destroy evidence of poaching,” says environmentalist R Mohammed Saleem. He adds that forest fires caused due to natural causes are almost negligible.

Agreeing with him is Syed Kattuva of Osai, who tells us that 99 per cent of forest fire is man-made. “Nature does not destroy itself. Forest fires are usually caused by the sheer negligence of human beings or by deliberate acts. Leftover fire by campers and trekkers can also engulf many hectares of land. It’s very difficult to trace who exactly caused the fire. So, miscreants usually get away. There are no hefty fines, too.”

A forest official on condition of anonymity tells us, “The biggest problem is that most of the patta lands are near reserve forests. People residing here have livestock. During dry season, finding food for grazing is a challenge for the animals. Setting fire on dried grass and leaves help in creating new pastures for the livestock. Most of the areas near forests have turned into human inhabitations. Even government projects including slum clearance projects are also coming up near forest areas. While we cannot object to such developments, we should definitely regulate their growth. This apart, railway tracks are also laid through some forests. If someone drops a cigarette from the train, the entire forest is at a risk of getting burnt. And we have no mechanism to find out the culprit.”’

Forest fires and their impact
“Forest fires are mainly categorized into two-ground fire and crown fire. While the ground fire usually engulfs small bushes and shrubs in the ground, crown fire is a fire that spreads from tree to another tree. Forest fires that occur in this region predominantly is ground fire. On the other hand, countries like US, Canada and Australia are affected by crown fire. When ground fire breaks out, micro-organisms are at risk. Rodents and snakes are easy victims of this fire. They try to come out of their burrows and eventually, get killed. If they stay inside their homes, they tend to suffocate and die. But, large animals like elephants, deer and tigers migrate to other forests during forest fire,” says the forest officer. Saleem says, “When a particular region is marred by continuous forest fire, there are chances that some plants many not grow after a few years.”

Escaping a forest fire
So, what should you do when you get caught in a forest fire? According to Group Captain Jayashankar (Retd), member of the National Adventure Foundation (NAF), one must look at the direction of the wind and run downhill. “Look for an open area where there is no grass. You can also take the help of boulders or rocks. Move toward a water body or crawl into a hole and wait till the fire is out.

Controlling forest fire, not a cakewalk
Syed, who helped forest officials put out the forest fire at Maruthamalai on Friday, tells us, “More than 50 people, which includes forest officials have been working hard for the last two days to douse the fire here. Putting out fire in forests is a tough task. When you enter an area that has caught fire, there is a high risk of fire engulfing you as well. So, you need to maintain a safe distance from affected area. Moreover, reptiles like snakes might be finding their way out of the forest and you need to be careful not to step on them. People, who are working uphill, need food and water to continue to the work. And, once you are inside a forest, there are chances that you will lose communication with others.

He adds, “The forest officials, locals and volunteers who know the forest well are involved in putting out forest fires. Here at Maruthamalai, we have been beating the fire out using green boughs. We have also removed dry twigs and leaves to prevent the spread of fire. You can also block the line of fire by cutting fire lanes, by removing grass from the area so that the fire is controlled.” In extreme cases, forest fires are doused by pumping water using bambi buckets from helicopters.

How to prevent forest fire?
“The Tamil Nadu government has not been allowing trekking inside the forests. Tourists are allowed to venture into only in a few places like Baralikadu, where they can trek a small distance. Only 100 people are allowed in these places at a time, that too only on weekends. Tourists are also given strict instructions and are asked to wear camouflage shirts, avoid inflammable materials like cigarettes or match boxes. Trekking uses up a lot of energy and trekking with children can be a risky affair. Hence, it is better to avoid children when trekking. We forest officials, recently told people living in the patta land on the fringes of forests that they will be responsible for any fire that happens in the locality. We are planning to spread the information using thandora, too. But, with elections coming up, I doubt if they will pay heed,” says the official.

Syed sums up, “The best way to protect our forests is by not venturing into them. And if you are, there is a cardinal rule that you need to follow- do not take anything to the forests and do not leave anything behind. Climate change is real and temperatures are constantly shooting up. Coimbatore has never been this hot in February. With rampant encroachments, forest land is decreasing day by day. It’s high time we saved them.”