PTR takes step to rope in locals to contain forest fires

Daltonganj: In the last few days, the south division of the state’s only tiger abode, the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR), is taking up a novel experiment of providing solar lanterns to the residents of the core areas to prevent forest fires.
The pilot project is going on in the Mahuadanr range and tribals, mostly from the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) living in the interiors of the reserve have been provided one solar lantern per family for free and in return, the PTR authorities appealed to the villagers to be vigilant and report any incident of a forest fire or any culprit trying to light up a fire.
Mahuadanr ranger Brinda Pandey said the project was part of a confidence-building measure and is most likely to see positive results.
The recipients of the solar lanterns will first rush to any fire site to try and control or contain it before informing the nearest forest patrol beat office. Normally, fires in the PTR forests are put out by beating the flames with long broomsticks instead of using water, which is hard to find at immediate notice.
Pandey said, “The chief conservator of forest and field director of PTR, Kumar Ashutosh, and the deputy director of the PTR south division, Kumar Ashish, ordered the distribution of the solar lamps, following which about 400 units were given to around 400 families belonging to the tribal and PVTG in the Mahuadnr range over the last few days. By the end of June, we hope to eliminate forest fires with the help of these volunteers who were provided with the solar lanterns.” Notably, Mahuadnr range witnesses 80 to 90 fire incidents every season.
Pandey said, “We have distributed the solar lanterns among the traditional forest dwellers of Naina, Sirsi, Karam Kharn, Aego, Haribaar, Belwar, Chutiya, Shahpur, Gowal Kharn and Ganja Toli villages among others.”
The forests in the contiguity of these villages are prone to fires because of the biotic pressure but these 400 volunteers with one solar lantern each provided by the PTR would reciprocate to the gesture by saving the forests from fire and by providing information about fires without delay, the PTR official said.
Kumar Ashish, the deputy director of the PTR south division, said, “Our forest fires are all due to the burning of grasses nearby to locate and pick scattered Mahua fruits.” He added that if the villagers stopped burning grasses, the PTR will be safe from forest fires.