The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Viswom seeks expenditure report

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Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Viswom seeks expenditure report

Roy Mathew

On fire prevention activities undertaken by the Forest Department

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forest Minister Benoy Viswom on Monday called for a report on the money spent on fire prevention and control this year by the Forest Department in view of repeated occurrence of forest fires in different parts of the State.

The Minister directed a virtual audit of the accounts in view of allegations of irregularities and wasteful expenditure for fire prevention and control.

Mr. Viswom had earlier directed that the local Vana Samrakshana Samithis should be involved in fire protection. The effectiveness of measures taken by the department so far in this regard would be looked into.

He also sought daily reports on occurrence of fires in the forests from Tuesday besides a note on fires that had occurred so far this year.

According to the report furnished by the department, nearly 150 hectares of natural forests had been burnt this summer besides more than 150 hectares of plantations including 88 hectares of teak plantations. The total loss is estimated to exceed Rs.45 crore. The Department does not report any losses when ground fires and minor fires occur in forests. (If the environmental losses resulting from loss of vegetation and small and micro fauna are taken into account, the losses would be several times the amount reported by the department).

Fires occurred in Ranni, Punalur, Thenmala, Thrissur, Chalakkudy, Malayatoor, Nilambur North, Palakkad, Ottapalam, Mannarkkad, Nenmara, North Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kottayam and Marayur forest divisions. (Fires had also occurred in wildlife sanctuaries such as Idukki.) There were 86 separate fires in various ranges under these territorial divisions.

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