Goemkarponn desk
VALPOI: Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane informed that 41 flames have been put out, and any potential reoccurrence is being closely watched.
“The IAF and Indian Navy are providing aircraft support while The Forest Department has deployed enough troops to put out the seven small active fires. All 41 flames have been put out, and any potential reoccurrence is being closely watched,” said Rane.
He further said that of 7 (most of them minor) is still burning as of today, out of which 41 have been put out. Indian Air Force Helicopter will start an aerial recce at 10 am to douse the fire.
“Day 5, & the Goa Forest is active, putting in great effort to extinguish the fire engulfing our hill in various locations throughout the state. A total of 48 fires have been reported since March 5 in government forests, private lands, communidade areas, and private forests,” he added.
The minister informed that the forest area is separated into sectors, and DCF/ACF level personnel monitor the fire situation.
“Collectors are being asked to activate emergency equipment for fires outside the woods. We’ve commissioned an investigation to find out what started the fires at each place. We are closely monitoring the forest fires that have spread throughout our state.”
He said the Forest Department has implemented several steps to mitigate these fires.
“A 24-hour control room has been set up to monitor forests in real-time. Illegal access is prohibited, and forest and wildlife rules are vigorously enforced to prevent entry,” said Rane.
The minister hailed the Indian Navy and the Air Force for their consistent support stating that “they have been working hard to handle the situation in coordination with the Forest Department.”
“With the combined efforts of a team from the forest, fire Department, and local residents, as well as aerial efforts by IAF and Indian Navy helicopters, the intensity of all seven active fires has been reduced. Adequate manpower is being used to monitor the active fire area closely,” said Rane.
As per data released by the Fire Service Department, 822 calls were attended to by the firemen from February 22 to March 8, of which 731 were fire-related. Out of 99 calls on March 8, 92 were related to fire, marking it the highest this month.
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