Summer fires sweep Marwahi forest division
Marwahi forests on fire
Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi | Desk: With the onset of summer, a rampage of forest fires has begun in the Marwahi Forest Division. In dozens of hilly areas falling under the Gaurela Range, such as Chhindpani, Bendrapani, Salheghori, and Pandripani, the fires have assumed a ferocious intensity.
The situation is such that plumes of smoke rising from the Chhindpani hills are visible from great distances, posing a looming threat not only to valuable vegetation but also to the very survival of wildlife.
Surprisingly, while the forests are raging on one hand, government personnel appear conspicuously absent from the scene on the other.
At the local level, the department's claims specifically regarding the deployment of fire watchers and guards in every village appear to be completely exposed.
On the ground, a distinct lack of concrete efforts to extinguish the fires is clearly evident.
However, commenting on this entire matter, Grishmi Chand, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Marwahi Forest Division, stated that the department remains fully alert and the situation is under control.
She clarified that teams have been deployed to monitor the forests, and modern equipment such as blowers is being utilized to bring the fires under control. It now remains to be seen how quickly these claims by the department can bring relief to the raging forests.
