The recent incidents of wildfire have added to the woes of farmers, causing them huge financial loss and destroying acres of cultivated land, amid their continuing battle against wild animal menace and steep fall of agricultural prices.
Vanimel and Karassery panchayats recently witnessed massive fire outbreaks, which destroyed crops in more than 20 hectares of land.
At Molikkavu in Karassery panchayat last week, wildfire engulfed about 30 acres of rubber plantation. Though the farmers approached the Agriculture and Revenue Departments for compensation, the officials could not even assess the loss after visiting the sites.
Firemen helpless
Residents said it was the second incident in the area in the same week. The Fire and Rescue Service squads were unable to cover such a wide area using their limited resources. There were more than 22 firemen from Mukkom and Vellimadukunnu stations along with a group of volunteers and it took them around 10 hours to bring the situations under control.
Fire and Rescue Service Department officials said there were two major fire outbreaks in Vanimel panchayat last month, causing huge destruction to rubber plantations and other crops. The upland areas near Athikkunnu were the worst-hit where around three acres of agriculture land were destroyed.
In another incident at Karukulam in Vanimel panchayat, about 50 farmers suffered huge loss in a fire outbreak. Nearly 15 acres of land, including rubber plantations, coconut and cashew farms, were affected.
Varghese Thekkayil, a member of the Vanimel panchayat, said the careless attitude of some landowners in the area contributed to the fire. “The settlers in the area are aware of the safety measures to be undertaken while clearing undergrowth. However, those coming from other locations to manage their property are a bit careless,” he said.
Some local body members also pointed fingers at the attempts of some tribespeople in the area at using fire for repelling bees and collecting honey.
