Drawing of fire-line for 400 km underway at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

Ooty: As it is time now to take all necessary precautionary measures for forest fire management in the hills, with the dry weather posing a threat to the jungle environs, foresters at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) have taken up the task of drawing fire prevention lines, popularly known as the fire-line over a stretch of 400-km in the MTR to tackle wild fire threats.

The drying weather, lack of rains coupled with frost bite always accounts for drying of the jungle cover between mid-December and March, making the jungles susceptible to wild fire. 

V.A. Saravanan, deputy director of MTR, told DC that with frost-bite and continuing dry weather, the jungles in the periphery show signs of withering, though greenery is still good in interior parts of the MTR woods.

“As part of forest fire management now in the MTR, drawing of fire prevention lines is underway at points across the MTR. The fire line will be drawn over a stretch of about 400-km across the length and breadth of the MTR.  The fire line or fire prevention line is a jungle technology to burn twigs and  bushes on the ground at a particular breadth and length as this prevents the fire from spreading from one area to other, in case of anything major. About 60 fire watchers are already on duty to  monitor the situation in the woods. A disaster management unit was opened up in the MTR to deal with the forest fire issue,” added Mr.Saravanan.