Coimbatore: After severe drought and climatic change due to man-made mistakes, wildfires are spreading across the dry forests in hill areas in various parts of the state and neighboring states.
Despite the horrific forest fire that has gutted more than 2,000 hectares of forest and killed many endemic and endangered plant and animal species in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Chamaraj Nagar district in neighboring Karnataka, and in Yercaud in Salem district, many forest ranges in Coimbatore forest division lack fire safety lines and the department has failed to take precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday noon, a forest fire started to spread into Panappalli and Thuvaipathy tribal villages in Anaikatty hills in Coimbatore forest division from neighboring Kerala forests, and continues to rage inside the tribal villages of Vitchaipathy, Pazhaya Thuvai, Moolangal and Vellaikulam inside the Kerala forest border for the past two days. Fire fighting brigades along with forest department staff and local tribes are involved in dousing the flames.
A Forest department higher official said “so far no major forest fire was reported in the Coimbatore forest division. Precautionary measures have been taken. Efforts are being made to control the fire from spreading to the nearby tribal hamlets in the Anaikatty hills. Staff from three forest ranges in Coimbatore forest division are involved in dousing the fire”. The timely action of Forest department averted a major forest fire near Marudhamalai on Sunday.
“NGOs and activists should come forward to support the Forest department as we are lacking sufficient staff strength,” added the official.
