Mangaluru: A team of trekkers who had been to Ramangudda and Durgadabetta in the Western Ghats to enjoy nature, could not believe their eyes. Instead of lush green forests, the chirping of birds and the sounds of insects, what greeted them was the stench of burnt bodies of rabbits, small birds and charred trees. Brown ash left behind by a forest fire, had replaced the usual lush green environment.
Activists and environmentalists have raised concerns over the early forest fires this year in the Ghats. “We see forest fires every year in April and May. But this year, forest fires started as early as January!
In the last three months, about 1,800 acres of forests have been destroyed by the fires in various mountains and valleys in Charmadi and Shiradi range! The fires are there in other ranges like Bisile and Shishila but on a comparatively smaller scale” Sahyadri Sanchaya convener and activist Dinesh Holla said.
“It was painful to see the burnt bodies of small animals and birds which could not escape the fire. Usually we go for trekking between the monsoon and summer (February). But this year, we could hardly go for trekking as the fires had charred forests in January itself. In my trekking experience of 20 years I have not seen a forest fire in January. Also this year (till March) the forest area that was consumed by fire is more compared to earlier years,” he said.
“Some of the estates owners who extend their estate illegally by chopping trees, try to hush up their act by setting ablaze the area. The fire goes out of control and spreads to the nearby grasslands and forests,” Holla alleged. “Also some estate owners set fire to the wild grass near their estates which too results in forest fires,” he added.
Another important reason is the negligence by trekkers. “Some trekkers light camp fires which they do not extinguish when they return. This later turns into a forest fire,” he said.
The grasslands atop the hills of Western Ghats are dry this year due to lack of rainfall. Even small friction (natural or manmade) is enough to set ablaze the grass. “Another reason for the fire is the belief among some forest dwellers that if the grass is burnt this year, they will get good grass during the monsoon,” he said. He added that forest department did not have enough personnel and equipment to deal with forest fires.
