Rajahmundry: To control forest fires in the summer, the forest authorities are developing fire lines of some hundred km with three meters width at all vulnerable areas in the forest including Papikonda National Park in Rajahmundry circle. Fire lines will be developed by clearing the dry leaves and forest litter on the ground to ensure that in case a fire mishap occurs, it will not spread to the entire area as the clean ground will serve as a natural barrier.
The forest authorities will develop fire lines in a strategic manner by taking into consideration the fire mishaps in the past. They will rope in tribal youth to serve as fire protection watchers. Several base camps will be set up where the fire lines are drawn up and at each base camp a team of five fire protection watchers will be posted. The watchers will stay put in their jurisdiction during the entire summer period. Their job is to maintain the fire lines by clearing the dry leaves and other forest litter which falls continuously. The watcher will be provided with fire fighting tools including leaf rake, garden rake, iron broom or beater, spade and bill hook.
The watchers armed with fire fighting tools will move around to maintain fire lines and tackle any fire mishaps and help avoid their spread to other parts of the forest. Chintur DFO M.V. Prasada Rao said, “We have set up fire lines at a distance of about 105 km and also base camps. We have employed 45 tribal youth in Chintur division to identify and control the forest fires and protect the wildlife from perishing in the fire.”
At Kakinada forest division also the forest authorities have taken up a similar exercise by setting up fire lines and employing fire protection watchers. The authorities say that they are even carrying out awareness drive among the local people to alert the forest personnel in case they notice any fire mishap to enable them to control it before it spreads all around.
Kakinada DFO M. Srinivasa Rao said, “We will be getting fire alerts from our head office which will monitor the fire mishaps through satellite imageries on a regular basis especially during the summer. Our personnel with rescue teams will rush to the area and take necessary measures to control fire and rescue wild animals if caught in the raging fire.”
