Hyderabad: As many as 13,479 and 18,174 forest fires were detected from November 2023 to June 2024 in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, respectively. These were among the total 2.03 lakh forest fires that took place in the country. These fire mishaps were detected by the Forest Survey of India using satellite mounted sensors in the last forest fire season, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Uttarakhand detected 21,033 forest fires, which is highest in the country followed by Odisha with 20,973 incidents and Chhattisgarh with 18,950 incidents. Telangana Fire Services Department Director GV Narayana Rao told Deccan Chronicle on Friday that a majority of fire accidents usually happen during summer. The forests are located at Nallamala forest in erstwhile Mahbubnagar, Adilabad, Mulugu and Narsapur, among areas in Telangana. “It is difficult to ascertain the reasons behind the forest fires. However, we urged the forest department to equip themselves to deal with fire mishaps inside the forest as fire tenders cannot reach the interior areas in forests owing to lack of proper road connectivity,” he explained. “As and when we get a call to the fire control room, our fire tenders rush to the spot and if there is no proper access to the spot in the forest, then it will be difficult for us to control flames. So, the forest department must equip fully,” he said. At a national seminar organized in Hyderabad recently, the fire services department underscored the need for the forest department to properly equip to deal with fire mishaps. On its part, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has put in place a national action plan on Forest Fire-2018, which provides comprehensive measures to prevent forest fires and to improve the resilience of the forests against fire hazards. The State governments and Union Territories (UT) administrations also prepare State action plans, in tandem with national action plans to undertake State and UT-specific measures towards forest fire prevention and management. The Ministry in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) trained three battalions of the NDRF, comprising 150 personnel to tackle large forest fires. These battalions are deployed as per the requirements to control forest fires. The protection of forests and wildlife is primarily the responsibility of the State governments and UTs administrations. There are legal provisions for the protection of forests and wildlife, which include, the Indian Forest Act 1927, Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam 1980, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, and the State Forest Acts, and Rules, etc. The State governments and UT administrations take appropriate actions to protect forests and wildlife under the provisions made under these Acts and Rules. The Ministry also supports the efforts of the States and UTs in the prevention and control of forest fires by providing financial assistance under the Centrally Sponsored Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme as well as through CAMPA funds.
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