Mumbai: Officials suspect miscreants behind forest fires in SGNP

Volunteers and forest officials work hard to douse the forest fires

The increasing incidents of forest fires in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the Aarey Milk Colony, have raised doubts in the minds of volunteers and Forest Department staff involved in dousing them, that they have been deliberately started by miscreants. They have also found lamps lit near religious structures that have come up in the national park.

Taking serious note of this, Honorary Wildlife Warden of Mumbai City, Sunish Subramanian Kunju, said, "We visited the Yogi Hills area in Tulsi range of SGNP to help the forest department douse the fires and were shocked to see that diyas were lit near religious structures. This also proves that some people illegally enter the national park. I am going to write to the SGNP director requesting him to increase patrolling and take strict action against those who enter the park illegally and also those who light diyas (lamps)." In past one month incidents of forest fires have not just increased in SGNP but also in the Aarey Milk Colony. For the past two days the forest department has been working hard to control the fires in the Tulsi and Yeoor ranges of SGNP.

Range Forest Officer Shailesh Deore said, "Our 15-20 forest watchers including the officials, and various NGO volunteers, were present in the Yeoor range till 4.30-5.00 am to douse the fires on Wednesday." Huge portions of forest patches are feared to have been gutted in the fire. Honorary Wildlife Warden of Thane, Pawan Sharma said, "We are initiating a citizen-based movement to deal with such forest fires in and around Sanjay Gandhi National Park which will include patrolling and fire-fighting teams. The SGNP is also increasing its patrolling and monitoring."

Also read: Sanjay Gandhi National Park engulfed in forest fire

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