Forest fires caused by trespassers have been reported in protected areas in the Vellore, Amirthi, and Pernambut forest ranges.
Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi on Saturday warned people of strict action against trespassing into reserve forests (RFs) in six forest ranges in the district, to prevent any harm to forest resources, including wildlife and green cover.
In the consultation meeting with district forest officials, Ms. Subbulaxmi said that trespassing remains the biggest challenge in ensuring the safety of wild species and other forest resources in protected areas as dairy farmers take their cattle to graze in reserve forests disturbing wild species like elephants and wild boars, which migrate to fringes of the forest area and cause damage to agricultural lands.
Most specifically, trespassers who carry explosives to villages in forest fringes also pose a threat to wildlife in the protected areas, especially through accidental forest fires. The collector’s directive comes in the wake of frequent forest fires that have been reported in protected areas in Vellore, Amirthi, and Pernambut forest ranges on the Tamil Nadu – Andhra Pradesh border in recent weeks.
Forest officials said that the gradual rise in daily temperature has also turned many green patches in forest reserves into bone dry, making them vulnerable to accidental fires caused by trespassers. In Vellore, the daily temperature has crossed 40 degrees Celsius. Motorists have also witnessed forest fires on hillocks along the Chennai – Bengaluru Highway (NH 44) in Vellore in recent days.
The collector also warned people of legal action, including registering cases against trespassers into reserve forests. Vellore forest division comprises Vellore, Amirthi, Arcot, Gudiyatham, Pernambut, and Odugathur forest ranges. Each forest range covers at least 10,000 – 15,000 hectares of forest area. Teak, sal wood, and red sanders are major tree species in these reserves, which are also a habitat for elephants, spotted deer, wild boar and Indian gaur.
On safety measures in RFs, forest officials were advised to increase patrolling in vulnerable spots where such trespassing has been regularly reported. Watch towers are also being set up in these reserves. In the Pernambut forest range that is located on the Tamil Nadu – Andhra Pradesh (Chittor) border in Vellore, additional forest checkposts have been created to prevent trespassing .
Forest officials said that fire lines have also been created in RFs to prevent accidental fire spreading to other areas within forest reserves in the district. Fire lines, which will be around 30 metres wide, are referred to as demarcated strips along the pathways in forest reserves where dry grass and bushes will be removed to prevent accidental fires.
Also, open farm wells in villages along the forest fringes were also fenced by forest officials to prevent wild animals falling into these wells.
