Fire destroys 20,464 ha of forest area in MP in eight months

Around 3,619 cases of fires, due to various reasons, were reported from 26 field units based to look after a total forest area 94,689 sq kms in Madhya Pradesh between the said period, a top Forest Departement official said.
The highest number of 125 fires broke out in the Kanha Tiger Reserve in eastern Madhya Pradesh, he said.

However, he said the damage caused by the fires to the forest have lessened in comparison to previous year's record of November 15, 2007 to June 30, 2008.
Around 21,869 hectares land was destroyed in 4,067 fires between November 15, 2007 and June 30, 2008, he added.

Under the FAMS designed and developed by Madhya Pradesh Forest Department in 2007, information regarding the outbreak of fires was gathered via satellite and automatically SMSs are sent to forest officals concerned for prompt action, he said.
Madhya Pradesh has a forest cover of 76,429 sq kms.