HYDERABAD: Forest fires have been occurring regularly in Telangana during summers, especially in the state’s tropical dry deciduous forests. To prevent such incidents and minimise the impact of both natural and man-made fires in the Amrabad region, the Forest Department is conducting special campaigns and training programs for forest rangers, other staff, and local tribals.Earlier this week, a fire broke out in the Nallamala forest range near Nagaluty and Bairluty villages, spreading over a kilometre, which the fire department had to put out with a lot of effort.
Speaking with the TNIE, District Forest Officer Rohith Gopidi, said that most forest fires are caused by human activities, such as the deliberate setting of fires to collect non-timber forest produce, including Mohwa flowers, Nannari, and Tendu leaves. “In addition, tourists and pilgrims travelling along the forest roads, cooking, and carelessly tossing cigarette butts and beedies, are also known reasons that cause fires in the forests,” he said.
To prevent forest fires, the Forest Department has established fire lines spanning over 500 km, which are cut into compartments to limit the spread of fires. Controlled burning is also being implemented to facilitate the collection of Mohwa flowers by tribals. Awareness campaigns have been held between December and February, and ten mobile teams have been deployed to control forest fires. The department also provided safety equipment like shoes, glasses, and uniforms to local tribal youth, so that they protect the forests.
According to Telangana Socio-Economic Outlook 2023, the State has reduced the number of extremely fire-prone areas by 37.23% in 2021 compared to 2019, while moderately fire-prone areas have declined by 5.90% in the same period, a significantly higher reduction than the national average.