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Wildfire continues to take the toll of Mhadei forests in Sattari 15th March 2023 in Whatapps Save Western Ghats Group

Though Goa government alongwith the Forest and Fire personnels as well with the Navy helicopters controlled the spread of wildfires, it has continued to take toll even today in the remote areas of Satre and Derode of Sattari.

The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, along with the Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane and the MLA, Devya Rane conducted emergency meeting of State Disaster Management Authority and various stakeholders at Morle, and given directives for bringing the wildfires under control, it has continued even today to pose serious threats to forest, ecology and wildlife of the Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary at inaccessible areas in Derode and Satre.

The officials of Forest and Fire, with the help of volunteers from Morle and vicinity, made attempts to curtail the spread of wildfires in the forests of Morlegad from the early morning. The helicopter deployed by the Indian Navy, contributed in dousing the wildfires on the Morlegad, by bringing water from the reservoir of the Anjunem dam. However, in the inaccessible hilly terrain of Satre and Derode the wildfires continue even today, burning the dried underground vegetation as well as the huge trees.

Madhu Gaonkar from Candola, who visited Satregad, with Elvis Gomes, speaking to TOI, said, "Today, we visited the area, at the foothills of the Satregad and met the villagers, who suffered losses, as the fire gutted their many fruit-yielding cashew trees. The huge boulders too came rolling down, and have posed threats to them. Wildfires that broke out in Satre, Derode and other places, revealed to be man- made.

Today, the Deputy conservator of forests, of Wildlife, Anand Jadhav along with the Range forest officer of the Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary Geerish Bailudkar and the Forest personnels, visited the affected areas in Derode to investigate the causes of wildfires and ascertain the losses suffered by the horticulturists.

Amrutsingh a wildlifer when contacted said, "Though, the major incidents of wildfires came to light through the media, this year. From the last few years, TOI repeatedly brought to light incidents of wildfires that took place in Caranzol and other areas of the sanctuary. However, no sincere efforts or stringent actions have been initiated by the Forest department and this amounted for causing massive scale destruction and degradation of the legally protected forest covers. Goa government should constitute a fact finding committee for investigating the wildfires and immediately chalk out the strategy for the long term protection and conservation of the sanctuary, restraining increasing encroachments.

Rajendra P Kerkar
Keri- Sattari
Goa

More than 350 ha. forests gutted into ashes in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary . 15th March 2023 in Whatapps Save Western Ghats Group

Deliberate attempts of wildfires in various areas of Sattari, resulted in destruction of more than 350 ha. of rich forest of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary for the last three days.

Taking the note of the news report published in the Times of India, Goa, various government authorities visited some of the affected sites, and achieved success in restraining fast spreading wildfires that gutted more than 350 ha.of the pristine forests. Alongwith, staff of forest department, the personnels of Goa Fire force reached to some sites and till late evening, achieved success in stopping the spread of the wildfires.

Today, the Forest minister, Vishwajit Rane, alongwith the senior forest officers, visited Ponsuli area, of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and in

Fire continuously degrading forests in Sanguem, Dharbandora 15th March 2023 in Whatapps Save Western Ghats Group

Some of the densely forested areas of Sanguem and Dharbandora, talukas today are continuously facing a threat, due the fire incidents, reported today, even after the forest officials are tirelessly making efforts to douse the spread of fire.

Many pristine forest areas of the Mahavir as well as of the Netravali Wildlife sanctuaries and of the Mollem National Park, inspite of the combined efforts of staff of the Forest department along with the volunteers making persistently efforts to douse the fire, however, it couldn't be curtailed till evening.

Today, evening, the fire began to blaze the forest in Dharbandora,on the hill adjacent to the National Highway, passing from Mollem to Ponda.

When TOI contacted the Deputy conservator of forests of wildlife, Anand Jadhav, he told, "We are continuously making our best efforts to douse the fire. In some areas, we were able to curtail the spread of the fire. We are continuously monitoring the situation and vigilant about the wildfires.

Incidents of wildfires, reported from Kumbhari, Potre and surrounding areas of the Netravali Wildlife sanctuary. Though, the staff of the Forest department, involved, since the morning to douse the spread of fire, till the evening today, it couldn't not be totally curtailed. When contacted, the Range forest officer of Netravali, Bipin Faldesai, told, We are working hard to douse the fire in the area, that are inaccessible.

Chandrakant Shinde, a wildlifer who along with volunteers involved today in dousing fire in the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary said, "Today, when we were in the forest to control fire, a chopper came and released water but it didn’t reach down the site. It deviated the targeted area due to wind velocity generated by the chopper's blades and also due to high temperature at the higher elevations, some water evaporated. Wind also started blowing in the noon which too affected the released water. Since this is ground fire, it needs direct water for any sort of control."

He further said, "I along with staff/volunteers with one blower per team were involved to create the fire control buffer trench that proved a more effective technique to control fire."

Suryakant Gaonkar from Bhuipal who participated in Collem said, "I from morning till evening was involved in manual fire fighting operations but it could not be contain totally. The fire fighting operation posed a big challenge as the fire was spreading in different directions. There is need of more additional man power on the ground to douse the fire completely before causing more losses to the rich forests and wildlife."

Rajendra P Kerkar
Keri- Sattari
Goa