125ha Ambazari forest devastated in night blaze

Nagpur: Over 125 hectares of forest was destroyed in ground fires at Ambazari in the wee hours of Sunday.
The fire was so widespread that seven tenders had to be summoned — four from Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), two from MIDC, and one from Wadi municipal council — to extinguish the flames.
This is the second incident in five months when vast track of forest in Ambazari has been gutted, exposing negligence and lack of protection on part of the foresters. On December 3, 2018, over 100 hectares was devastated.
“There is no tendu patta interest in Ambazari. The state government spent crores to construct a compound wall to stop cattle grazing and trespassing, and if still fires are being ignited then it is big failure of forest department,” said Aniruddha Bhagat, a regular bird watcher at Ambazari.
Bhagat alleged that forest officials, under political pressure from local leaders, are purposely not closing the biggest breach near Pandhrabodi side forest gate from where graziers enter the forest and collect heaps of grass for their cattle by venturing deep into the woods.
Fishermen and anti-social elements from the locality also enter the forests posing a serious threat. In January 2018, forest officials had promised to close the entry but have done nothing to stop trespassing.
Deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) Prabhunath Shukla confirmed that 125-hectare area has been gutted. “The fire was reported around 1.30am on Sunday and it took four hours to control it. It seems to be the handiwork of some anti-social elements or it can also be a retaliatory action by graziers.”
Shukla added that the fire was ignited from four different sides. It has been observed that such fires are ignited mostly on government holidays. Saturday and Sunday were off days.
“Apart from fire tenders, we deployed staff with five blowers from Seminary Hills to extinguish the fire. Tall grass coupled with winds spread the fire,” Shukla said.
“Frequent forest fires are destroying regeneration of Ambazari forest. This must be the 26th fire incident in the area in the last two years,” claimed Bhagat.
The forest and its backwaters have more than 263 bird species. An avid bird watcher Krishna Lanjewar said these fires are affecting rich biodiversity and avian fauna of the area.
“Habitat of many grassland and water birds like peafowls, red-wattled lapwings, quails, partridges, sandgrouse, plovers and many others must have been destroyed in the area. These birds lay eggs during this season,” said Lanjewar.
“The fire has also destroyed saplings and trees planted two-three years ago during the ‘Greening Maharashtra’ drive, a pet project of forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar himself,” said Bhagat.
Forest Dept Apathy To Fore
* Indian Forest Act, 1927, prohibits kindling of any fire, trespassing, pasturing cattle, or permitting cattle to trespass, causing any damage by negligence in felling any tree or cutting or dragging any timber, removing any forest-produce etc
* The 758-hectare Ambazari forest land was handed over to the department in lieu of forest area diverted for construction of Bawanthadi dam
* Owing to grasslands and good habitat, 263 species of birds have been recorded at Ambazari forest
* Ambazari has reported 26 cases of forest fire since January 2017
* Till now no offenders have been booked though preliminary offence reports (PORs) are registered regularly
* Forest officials are purposely not closing the big breach near Pandhrabodi side, which is the bone of contention