Members of the Eco Development Committees (EDCs) are to extinguish surface forest fires in the Palamu tiger Reserve. Sources said as the PTR is a deciduous forest where leaf fall is acute the proneness to surface forest fire is too high here.
In the buffer portion of the PTR, the stretch between Garu and Banari is too prone to forest fire. The EDCs are now to deal with the fire fighting measures. According to the DFO buffer Anil K Mishra 15 EDCs have been shortlisted which are in the fire prone areas and each of the EDCs is given 15,000 rupees for fire fighting. Mishra expressing hope said members of EDCs will now put in their heart and soul for the control of fire.
Unlike fires in other forests like America and Australia where it is high top tree fire the PTR’s fire is surface based. This April there has been half a dozen incidents of forest fires in the buffer area of the PTR admitted MIshra saying it takes two days to control and extinguish it. Forest fire in the PTR is at times controlled by counter fire said another DFO core Premjit Anand.
A counter fire is one which is caused from opposite direction of already on fire Anand explained. Bush living birds go homeless in surface fires in PTR while thw wildlife has learnt to live with the dangers of fire here. Till the onset of rains the PTR remains in the grip of fire which is very often man made. There are mahua trees and mahua fruits are picked by poor. The poor cause fire to cleanse the area where fruits are to fall but do not bother to extinguish it the result of which is the fire engulfs more areas agreed Mishra.
The PTR has bought modern fire fighting equipments in the year 2011 but one point needs to be mentioned here no forest fire in the PTR has ever been extinguished by any fire brigade (damkal) since it cannot do so. A fire line is cut and this stops the spread of fire.