Dry spell turns forests in Karnataka into tinderbox

A four-month dry spell has sparked an unprecedented number of fire incidents in the forests of Karnataka.

Data from the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Authority shows that forest staff have had to deal with as many as 2,020 fires between February 15 and March 5. The state has 20-50 days to go to receive pre-monsoon showers.

Officials said such numbers had never been reported before.

“Copious rains over the last few years have led to massive undergrowth, and that is complemented by shedding of leaves in winter. Add to this the dry spell of the last four-five months and the forest turns into fuel,” a senior official said.

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To put things in perspective, the total number of forest fires for three years till September 2022 was 4,639. In 2020, the then forest minister Anand Singh claimed the department had received about 2,000 fire alerts during the lockdown.

Officials later said several alerts were related to work on fire lines (the practice of burning a strip of vegetation to break the spread of potential fires).

Low on funds

Karnataka has about 42,000 sq km of forest, of which 30,241 sq km is dry deciduous, scrub and unwooded grassland. In the remaining area, 6,545 sq km of moist deciduous forest becomes fire prone in summer.

The state’s response is bogged down by limited resources, delayed release of funds from the Union government, and a failure to adopt modern methods.

Karnataka has a paltry annual budget of Rs 13 crore for firefighting. Of this, Rs 3 crore had to come from the Union government, but it has released just 25 per cent. Only three weeks are left for the financial year to end.

Most of the money goes into appointing fire watchers for four or five months, and the creation of fire lines.

Copter idea nixed

The department’s proposal to hire a helicopter during the fire season, at a cost of Rs 1 crore, was rejected by the Union government.

In the interiors of Bandipur and the Kali Tiger Reserve as well as the scrub forests of Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada, reaching the blaze is arduous. Any fire in the valleys of Western Ghats calls for long-distance trekking by firefighters.

Humans to blame

Almost 100 per cent of forest fires are caused by humans, with genuine as well as mischievous motives. Some communities seek to clear the undergrowth to make way for grass, while others set fire to drive away animals. Some people use fires to clear the forests for encroachment.

In the Kali Tiger Reserve, officials have documented four cases of fire caused by sparks from high tension wires.

“Quick alerts help in reaching the spot and containing the fire. We have contacted gram panchayats, village self-help groups and the district administration to create awareness,” an official in Haliayal said.

An official pointed out that Karnataka was yet to explore the option of ‘controlled burning’, a method that involves burning patches of forests to remove dry grass and fuel to ensure that large forest fires don’t ravage the area.

Official take

Jawaid Akhtar, additional chief secretary, forests and environment, said, “The main reason for the unusually high number of fire incidents is the weather pattern of prolonged monsoon followed by a dry spell, accompanied by a rise in temperatures. We have put in place a warning system. Additional measures will be considered as and when we receive proposals,” he told DH.