AURANGABAD: Marathwada, a region having the lowest forest cover in Maharashtra, has witnessed as many as 696 forest fire incidents in the past four years. These calamities have destroyed 2,598 hectare forest cover in the region, further reducing the forest cover.
Coinciding with the ongoing forest fire prevention week being observed in Maharashtra by the state forest department, authorities have brought to public notice that those who are responsible for causing such disaster can be subjected to imprisonment of upto two years, besides getting slapped with a fine of Rs 5,000.
Chief conservator of forests (territorial), Aurangabad, P K Mahajan on Wednesday said that locals dwelling around forest areas as well as tourists visiting the forests must ensure that no man-made activity on their part triggers forest fire.
“Stringent laws are in place to deal with the incidents of forest fire arising due to man-made causes and persons involved it. Forest fire destructs local biodiversity and such harm can by irreversible. It is collective responsibility of people to ensure that such untoward incidents do not occur,” he said.
Aurangabad forest circle, which consists of three territorial divisions and three independent sub divisions, has total forest cover of 2882.78 sq km. The area deals with all reserved, protected and unclassified forests, among other areas, except the areas included in Gautala Autramghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Jaikwadi Bird Sanctuary, Painganga Sanctuary, Naigaon Peacock Sanctuary and Yedshi Ramling Ghat Sanctuary.
According to official data, forest fires in Marathwada have increased since 2017 with a slight dip in the figures last year.
Forest department authorities said that “unknown persons” are responsible for around 99% fire incidents by and large. “It is difficult to trace people who are responsible for triggering forest fires as it is an open territory. Proper awareness about the ill-effects of such fires on local biodiversity and humans as a whole can contain the incidents of forest fires,” authorities said.
Wildlife expert Hemant Chhajed said the that the forest department must adopt zero-tolerance policy while dealing with the incidents of forest fires.
“Besides enabling provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the government agencies are empowered with Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, The Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 and Biological Diversity Act, 2002 to deal with the culprits associated with forest fires. These legal tools must be used to take the investigation in the incidents of forest fires to the logical end and punish the guilty,” he said.
Citing an affidavit submitted by the Centre in the Supreme Court in one of the environmental cases, Chhajed said that a forest land of around one hectare is worth around Rs 1.62 crore. “The damage caused by forest fires in Marathwada in the last four years runs into crores of rupees, besides inflicting harm upon the wildlife and biodiversity,” he said.
Experts have also stressed on the need for focussing on preventive measures such as taking ‘fire line’ in the protected and reserved forest areas, ensuring sufficient availability of the fire-fighting equipment and proper training to forest department staffers to reduce the number of forest fires.
Coinciding with the ongoing forest fire prevention week being observed in Maharashtra by the state forest department, authorities have brought to public notice that those who are responsible for causing such disaster can be subjected to imprisonment of upto two years, besides getting slapped with a fine of Rs 5,000.
Chief conservator of forests (territorial), Aurangabad, P K Mahajan on Wednesday said that locals dwelling around forest areas as well as tourists visiting the forests must ensure that no man-made activity on their part triggers forest fire.
“Stringent laws are in place to deal with the incidents of forest fire arising due to man-made causes and persons involved it. Forest fire destructs local biodiversity and such harm can by irreversible. It is collective responsibility of people to ensure that such untoward incidents do not occur,” he said.
Aurangabad forest circle, which consists of three territorial divisions and three independent sub divisions, has total forest cover of 2882.78 sq km. The area deals with all reserved, protected and unclassified forests, among other areas, except the areas included in Gautala Autramghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Jaikwadi Bird Sanctuary, Painganga Sanctuary, Naigaon Peacock Sanctuary and Yedshi Ramling Ghat Sanctuary.
According to official data, forest fires in Marathwada have increased since 2017 with a slight dip in the figures last year.
Forest department authorities said that “unknown persons” are responsible for around 99% fire incidents by and large. “It is difficult to trace people who are responsible for triggering forest fires as it is an open territory. Proper awareness about the ill-effects of such fires on local biodiversity and humans as a whole can contain the incidents of forest fires,” authorities said.
Wildlife expert Hemant Chhajed said the that the forest department must adopt zero-tolerance policy while dealing with the incidents of forest fires.
“Besides enabling provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the government agencies are empowered with Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, The Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 and Biological Diversity Act, 2002 to deal with the culprits associated with forest fires. These legal tools must be used to take the investigation in the incidents of forest fires to the logical end and punish the guilty,” he said.
Citing an affidavit submitted by the Centre in the Supreme Court in one of the environmental cases, Chhajed said that a forest land of around one hectare is worth around Rs 1.62 crore. “The damage caused by forest fires in Marathwada in the last four years runs into crores of rupees, besides inflicting harm upon the wildlife and biodiversity,” he said.
Experts have also stressed on the need for focussing on preventive measures such as taking ‘fire line’ in the protected and reserved forest areas, ensuring sufficient availability of the fire-fighting equipment and proper training to forest department staffers to reduce the number of forest fires.
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