A 40-year-old Chenchu tribal, Lingamaiah, on Saturday, succumbed to burns that he sustained in a forest fire on March 7 in the Amrabad tiger Reserve. This is the first incident in which a fire in a forest in Telangana state has resulted in the loss of human life.
Lingamaiah died at the Osmania General Hospital, where he was battling for life since March 7. Three other Chenchus, from Mallapur Penta, who also received burns in the same incident are receiving treatment for burn injuries.
It may be recalled that a group of 11 Chenchus from Mallapur Penta, a hamlet deep inside the tiger reserve, were reported to be out in the forest searching for tubers and to tap honey when they were caught in the fire.
The months leading up to the peak summer are considered the fire season in the state’s forests. In Amrabad, the undergrowth dries up by the end of January and the trees shed their leaves turning several parts of the forest into potential tinder boxes. While there is no certainty on how the fire, in which the Chenchus were caught, started, it is suspected that sparks from a fire they may have started to smoke out bees at a hive may have resulted in the blaze.
Tribal welfare minister Satyavathi Rathod expressed distress at Lingamaiah's death and, in a statement, said the government would assist his family comprising his wife and five children in every possibly way. The government will ensure the education of the children and their marriages, she said.
The minister said the government sanctioned an immediate relief of '1 lakh to Lingamaiah, and equal amounts to the three other Chenchus who are undergoing treatment. Three others who also suffered burns and were recuperating in their hamlet have been given '50,000 each, Rathod said.
