Forest Department begins measures to prevent fire in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

Last year, fires that broke out in Bandipur had spread into Mudumalai forests

With the peak fire season in the Sigur plateau round the corner, the Forest Department has begun maintaining fire lines in more than 700 km of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).

The department aims at completing the work before the peak fire season to prevent a repeat of last year, when major fires that broke out in Bandipur Tiger Reserve spread into parts of MTR, leading to many hectares of reserve forest getting completely destroyed. “Fire lines”, officials explain, are gaps created between patches of forest and vegetation to control the spread of fire by limiting the amount of available "vegetative fuel".

Officials said that owing to good rain last year the habitats destroyed in last year’s fires had begun rejuvenating, with these areas once again providing fodder for ungulates in the reserve.

Deputy Director of MTR (Buffer Zone) L.C.S. Srikanth, said six-metre wide fire lines had already been dug in 560 km of the buffer zone in the Sigur, Singara, Masinagudi and Thenumarahada Forest Ranges.

Officials said the Department had completed the maintenance work in around 400 km of the buffer zone. Sanction had been sought for completing maintenance work on the remaining extent of the fire lines.

Moreover, 120 firewatchers – 30 in each range comprising the buffer zone - had been recruited temporarily for the next few months to watch out for fires. Specially-built command centres were also operational to watch out for fires and quickly despatch Forest Department staff to put these out.

Officials said that around 300 km of existing fire lines in the core zone of the tiger reserve would also be maintained.

Forest officials would also visit settlements in the tiger reserve in the coming weeks to explain the safe practices the local communities could adopt to avoid causing forest fires.

In the Nilgiris division, work would begin soon on 75 km of fire lines, with special focus of completing the work soon along the lower slopes that were more prone to forest fires.

Water availability

Due to the good rain across the Nilgiris last year, officials said that most water bodies and streams continued to be a good source of drinking water for wildlife, while water troughs had also been put up at multiple locations across MTR to provide drinking water to wildlife. An official said that though water availability was good in the reserve now, the crunch period would start in the coming months.

The Department had taken many steps to deal with the situation.