At 1,245, alarming rise in large forest fires in Maharashtra; ranks second across India

PUNE: Maharashtra has recorded 1,245 large forest fires between Jan 1 and April 7 this year, an alarming rise from 515 such cases during the same period last year, the latest satellite mapping data from the Forest Survey of India (FSI) showed.

With this, the state now ranks second in the country for major forest fires, behind Madhya Pradesh (1,743) and Chhattisgarh (1,045).

According to the data, a total of 11,908 major fires have been recorded in the country since Jan 1 this year. Maharashtra recorded 97 major forest fires till Feb this year and over 1,000 such cases in March. In the first week of April alone, the state reported 118 large fires, with 21 still active, the data showed.

Forest officials attributed the uncontrolled growth of wildfires to the inaccessibility of the terrain, which hindered fire management teams from reaching remote forest areas promptly, enabling the fires to intensify and spread.

99% forest fires man-made, says top official amid alarming surge
The deputy conservator of forests (protection), Umesh Verma, said 99% of the forest fires in Maharashtra were man-made.

"They can be attributed to the agriculture practice of burning tendu (Indian Ebony) and mahua (butter tree) leaves for economic purposes. That is why, we see an escalation in forest fires in central Maharashtra," he said.

The forest department has launched a GIS-based portal to monitor forest fire risk zones using satellite images and eight years of historical data. This portal helps field divisions assess vulnerability and take proactive measures. The department is also considering expanding the use of artificial intelligence to enhance fire prevention efforts across all state divisions."

When it comes to tendu leaves, we have the provision of revoking dealers' licences if they indulge in any burning activity. For urban areas like Thane and Pune, we have a 24/7 control room, equipment and necessary training to resolve the issue. Awareness remains key to check such practices," Verma said.

Data showed that the number of forest fire alerts, including small and medium since Jan 1, stood at 14,106 across the state - an increase from 11,391 during the same period last year.

Experts said climate change and lesser moisture retention in the soil halted seed germination, leading to the growth of seasonal grasses that dry out significantly in summer months, contributing to forest fires. "We are currently studying the reasons behind large-scale fires in the Sahyadris. Farmers tend to burn the dry grass during summer, allowing for a fresh patch for their cattle to graze on," Gurudas Nulkar, director of the centre for sustainable development at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, said.

He said slow-moving insect populations were wiped out due to the fires, leading to biodiversity loss. "In the urban areas, littering can contribute to forest fires, releasing dioxins into the air from burning plastics. This disrupts natural cycle and contaminate soil," Nulkar added.