Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 |
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By Our Special Correspondent
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 9. Fires have consumed large areas of forests in different parts of the State during the past two weeks. The prevailing drought condition and failure of the Forest Department to take precautionary measures have added fuel to the fire, resulting in the spreading of fires to both wildlife and territorial divisions. At least two major fires broke out in the Agasthyarkoodam Biosphere Reserve during the past week. At Ponmudi, around 500 acres of shola forests and forest plantations caught fire, causing considerable damage to the flora and fauna in the area. Fires raged through the Kottoor forests a few days ago. But the Forest Department could not do much to prevent the fires from spreading. Large areas of forests, especially the undergrowth, had been destroyed in fires in Wayanad district. Fires are also occurring in Idukki district, including the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Fires destroyed large areas of forests at Thekkady and Managaladevi in the district. Official sources said the department had not been able to take precautionary measures like construction of fire lines to the desired extent for want of funds. No priority was accorded to fire prevention though it was known that there would be severe drought this year. The department appoints firewatchers every summer to keep vigil against fires. But fires broke out despite their presence. The spreading of fires indicates a high level of degradation of the affected forests. Fires would not spread in evergreen rainforests. However, when forests degrade, moisture is lost and flammable materials such as dry leaves gather on the ground. Fires spread from embers left behind by encroachers or plunderers of forests or from beedi or cigarette butts left behind by tourists and others. Sometimes hunters and others deliberately set fire to forests. In the past, forest officials too had been implicated in setting fire to forests to cover up deficiencies in the work done in forest plantations.
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