Wildfire continues to take the toll of Mhadei forests in Sattari 15th March 2023 in Whatapps Save Western Ghats Group

Though Goa government alongwith the Forest and Fire personnels as well with the Navy helicopters controlled the spread of wildfires, it has continued to take toll even today in the remote areas of Satre and Derode of Sattari.

The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, along with the Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane and the MLA, Devya Rane conducted emergency meeting of State Disaster Management Authority and various stakeholders at Morle, and given directives for bringing the wildfires under control, it has continued even today to pose serious threats to forest, ecology and wildlife of the Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary at inaccessible areas in Derode and Satre.

The officials of Forest and Fire, with the help of volunteers from Morle and vicinity, made attempts to curtail the spread of wildfires in the forests of Morlegad from the early morning. The helicopter deployed by the Indian Navy, contributed in dousing the wildfires on the Morlegad, by bringing water from the reservoir of the Anjunem dam. However, in the inaccessible hilly terrain of Satre and Derode the wildfires continue even today, burning the dried underground vegetation as well as the huge trees.

Madhu Gaonkar from Candola, who visited Satregad, with Elvis Gomes, speaking to TOI, said, "Today, we visited the area, at the foothills of the Satregad and met the villagers, who suffered losses, as the fire gutted their many fruit-yielding cashew trees. The huge boulders too came rolling down, and have posed threats to them. Wildfires that broke out in Satre, Derode and other places, revealed to be man- made.

Today, the Deputy conservator of forests, of Wildlife, Anand Jadhav along with the Range forest officer of the Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary Geerish Bailudkar and the Forest personnels, visited the affected areas in Derode to investigate the causes of wildfires and ascertain the losses suffered by the horticulturists.

Amrutsingh a wildlifer when contacted said, "Though, the major incidents of wildfires came to light through the media, this year. From the last few years, TOI repeatedly brought to light incidents of wildfires that took place in Caranzol and other areas of the sanctuary. However, no sincere efforts or stringent actions have been initiated by the Forest department and this amounted for causing massive scale destruction and degradation of the legally protected forest covers. Goa government should constitute a fact finding committee for investigating the wildfires and immediately chalk out the strategy for the long term protection and conservation of the sanctuary, restraining increasing encroachments.

Rajendra P Kerkar
Keri- Sattari
Goa

More than 350 ha. forests gutted into ashes in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary . 15th March 2023 in Whatapps Save Western Ghats Group

Deliberate attempts of wildfires in various areas of Sattari, resulted in destruction of more than 350 ha. of rich forest of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary for the last three days.

Taking the note of the news report published in the Times of India, Goa, various government authorities visited some of the affected sites, and achieved success in restraining fast spreading wildfires that gutted more than 350 ha.of the pristine forests. Alongwith, staff of forest department, the personnels of Goa Fire force reached to some sites and till late evening, achieved success in stopping the spread of the wildfires.

Today, the Forest minister, Vishwajit Rane, alongwith the senior forest officers, visited Ponsuli area, of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and in

Fire continuously degrading forests in Sanguem, Dharbandora 15th March 2023 in Whatapps Save Western Ghats Group

Some of the densely forested areas of Sanguem and Dharbandora, talukas today are continuously facing a threat, due the fire incidents, reported today, even after the forest officials are tirelessly making efforts to douse the spread of fire.

Many pristine forest areas of the Mahavir as well as of the Netravali Wildlife sanctuaries and of the Mollem National Park, inspite of the combined efforts of staff of the Forest department along with the volunteers making persistently efforts to douse the fire, however, it couldn't be curtailed till evening.

Today, evening, the fire began to blaze the forest in Dharbandora,on the hill adjacent to the National Highway, passing from Mollem to Ponda.

When TOI contacted the Deputy conservator of forests of wildlife, Anand Jadhav, he told, "We are continuously making our best efforts to douse the fire. In some areas, we were able to curtail the spread of the fire. We are continuously monitoring the situation and vigilant about the wildfires.

Incidents of wildfires, reported from Kumbhari, Potre and surrounding areas of the Netravali Wildlife sanctuary. Though, the staff of the Forest department, involved, since the morning to douse the spread of fire, till the evening today, it couldn't not be totally curtailed. When contacted, the Range forest officer of Netravali, Bipin Faldesai, told, We are working hard to douse the fire in the area, that are inaccessible.

Chandrakant Shinde, a wildlifer who along with volunteers involved today in dousing fire in the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary said, "Today, when we were in the forest to control fire, a chopper came and released water but it didn’t reach down the site. It deviated the targeted area due to wind velocity generated by the chopper's blades and also due to high temperature at the higher elevations, some water evaporated. Wind also started blowing in the noon which too affected the released water. Since this is ground fire, it needs direct water for any sort of control."

He further said, "I along with staff/volunteers with one blower per team were involved to create the fire control buffer trench that proved a more effective technique to control fire."

Suryakant Gaonkar from Bhuipal who participated in Collem said, "I from morning till evening was involved in manual fire fighting operations but it could not be contain totally. The fire fighting operation posed a big challenge as the fire was spreading in different directions. There is need of more additional man power on the ground to douse the fire completely before causing more losses to the rich forests and wildlife."

Rajendra P Kerkar
Keri- Sattari
Goa

Forest fire in Goa. by Ramesh Gause, Pajwada - Bicholim, Goa 15th March 2023 in Whatapps Save Western Ghats Group

Fire in Mhadai wild life sanctuary, so much intensive that it took nearly a week to manage. Such fire seems to be the first time in the history of goas forest. To be on the side of truth fire in MWS is not at all an accidental. It was well planned and executed , so that it reaches out , spreads faster and resultantly remains uncontrolled by fire fighting units !

Let us go to the chronology . A tiger got caught in a trap which was set to hunt wild pigs or like that. Having seen in the tiger the setter of the trap did not turn up back as a result it turned into carcases. The news spread between one or two persons was held by the department. Bones were sent to Dehradun lab, report stated that the sample was of donkey !

Then it came out as the tigers ! On existence of tigers in Goa the only minister who denied the existence was Mr Vishwajit Rane and claimed that they are migrants from Karnataka. Then he opposed eco sensitive areas for Sattari from where he comes and wins election. The 4 tigers were poisoned ! He opposed the idea of tiger reserve , sort support of his people . Then again a tiger was killed.

The fires burnt the pristine forests of the Mhadei basin of Goa

BY Rajendra P Kerkar

The neighbouring states of Karnataka and Maharashtra are trying their level best to dam and divert the Mhadei river and its tributaries, posing serious threat to life, livelihood as well as ecology, wildlife and forest of the smallest state of Goa. With the onset of the summer when Goans became one with the celebration of the Shigmo festival, on or before the state experienced repeated incidents of the forest fires, from March 4,2023, that amounted to causing irreparable losses to wildlife, forest and ecology. The Holi in Goa is celebrated as the Shigmo, by making the well decorated trunk of the felled tree with the leaves of mango to stand erect, in front of the temple of the village-deity, around it grasses are set to fire to mark the celebration. During the hoary past, the communities were living inside the forested villages. But, with the liberation of Goa, many of them began to settle in the areas that are lying in close proximity to the roads and where civic amenities are available. However, during the Holi festival, some of them continue to visit the old settlement, to install the tree trunk in front of the temple, and fire is ignited on the occasion. This year on the Holi, the fire that was ignited around the trunk of the tree that is worshipped as Holi, assumed such a huge proportion, that resulted in destruction of the large tracts of the pristine forests. For almost ten days repeated incidents of forest fires occurred inside the Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary and also in the Mahavir, Cotigao, Netravali sanctuaries and the Mollem national park.
Alongwith the Forest department, the Fire and Emergency Services, taking the help of local communities made attempts to douse the forest fires.The Indian Air Force and Navy choppers taking a lot of risk and hardwork, struggled to douse the forest fires. Presently, incidents of the forest fires are brought under control. According to the Forest Survey of India report of 2019, just 0.05 percent of Goa’s forests are classified as moderately fire prone. In 2021, the report of FSI, had mentioned that it was 100 percent less fire prone.
However, in spite of this,the forest fires destroyed valuable resources of forest, besides, depletion of carbon sinks, degradation of water catchment areas affecting resources of water. It has badly affected the natural habitat of wildlife and also resulted in changing the micro-climate of the area, making it unhealthy for living beings as well as leading to soil erosion, thereby intensifying the gravity of landslides and flooding in the region.
The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary was notified by then governor of Goa, Retd.Lt. J.F.R Jacob, when the state was under the President rule, including only the government reserve forests that were earlier notified by the successive governments in power. However, the villagers who brought these areas under the agriculture and horticulture crops, have been mentioned in government records as the encroachers. After declaration of the areas as the sanctuary, it was the bounden duty of the state government authorities to take needful steps for settlement of the forest right claims by invoking the section 18 of Wildlife Protection Act,1972. This exercise was not carried out. The forest minister of Goa has initiated the process of the forest right claims form 2022 and the villagers who had done encroachments, after 1999 and even in 2015 or so, have been allowed to do formalities of Forest Right Claims.

These villagers who have been recorded as the encroachers, are involved in clearing of forests and bringing it under the agriculture and horticulture crops. The incidents of forest fires were taking place earlier too, but lack of the stringent action, given them free hands.The majority forest staff involved in the Mhadei Sanctuary, is from Sattari, who are patrolling the areas. Presently, watch towers that are already established and staff are deployed but they are given totally different assignments.
Poaching, trekking, hiking activities are on rise in the protected areas of Sattari. The forest minister of Goa said that “These fires are man-made”

The Forest Right Claim can be put by any member or community, who has for at least three generations (75 years) prior to the 13 th day of December,2005, primarily resided in forest land for bonafide livelihood needs. In many areas of the Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary,claims for the forest lands have been made also after 2006. Though, the claims have not been settled in some cases, the Forest Department of Goa, has allowed the claimants to venture into these areas, who are clearing forest through the fires to bring it under the agriculture and horticulture crops. Such types of violations are rampant and are continuously on the rise, since 2019.

The Forest Minister mentioned that recent forest fires are man-made, however no thorough investigation of the culprits involved have been done.That is why, destruction of forests have been going on unnoticed and unhindered. From 2009 to 2021,five tigers were killed in Sattari and no efforts sincerely have been made to exercise the rule of law and order and to repeat such crimes.Whatever, recommendations made by the National Tiger Conservation Authority,half- hearted attempts have been made to implement.

There is an urgent need of conducting a judicial probe into violations that are presently going on in Sattari, where in some areas boards are standing, mentioning, no entry for the Forest department officials.

Since 2019 incidents of forest fire have repeatedly taken place in Goa, but the forest department has not provided till this date direction for operational planning at the field level and also have not made resource allocation, training monitoring and control programs with the ultimate goal to reduce the risk and occurrences of forest fires in Goa. The anthropologic factor is by far the main culprit of the catastrophic losses, which demands various wildfire prevention strategies. High temperatures, low humidity raise the flammability of dry grass, leaves and bushes with strong wind speed. Forest department should consider current and upcoming weather conditions and their danger to the forest. When it is too hot or windy, sparkles from the working equipment or vehicle may ignite the dry grass or leaves and leap to large territories due to wind causing forest fires. Being aware of the current and upcoming forest fire hazards or detecting smoke on time is alway necessary in preventing forest fire.

A digital forest monitoring tool blending powerful remote sensing technology is needed for preventing forest fires. In Sattari horticultural land expansion by cutting forest and burning dried vegetation is going on uncontrolled. No awareness drive inside the sanctuaries and the forested areas have been taken to stop burning debris under dangerous weather conditions. 78% of North Goa rich forest was adoring Sattari but various anthropogenic activities have been responsible for destruction and degradation of the life sustaining forest. It is high time for all of us to plan a strategy for initiating joint forest management, consolidating the community conserved areas and providing various incentives to the local communities for the protection and conservation of the wildlife, ecology and forest.

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https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/dubious-foreign-entities-rahul-gandhi-slams-adani-govt-says-sensitive-contracts-given-to-unknown-firms/ar-AA18EoIF 

 'Dubious, foreign entities': Rahul Gandhi slams Adani, govt; says sensitive contracts given to unknown firms
Story by Business Today 

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi raised questions today about missile and radar upgrade contracts being given to an Adani Group-owned company and an unknown foreign entity known as Elara.

Gandhi, via his Twitter handle, shared a screenshot of a news report by The Indian Express. which said that Elara Capital is a joint owner in a top defence firm controlled by the Adani Group... It has signed a contract worth Rs 590 crore with the Defence Ministry in 2020 for upgrading and digitising the Pechora missile and radar systems.

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Adani Group Investor Firm, Also Co-Promoter With It In A Defence Firm Getting Contracts Mar 15, 2023
"More and more skeletons are tumbling out as the scrutiny on Gautam Adani and his empire intensifies. In the latest, a report by Indian Express has revealed that Elara Capital, one of the investors in Adani group, is also a co-owner with Gautam Adani in a defence firm. This firm works closely with ISRO and DRDO. and it also has a Rs 590 crore contract with the Union Ministry of Defence. The latest disclosure has kicked up a political storm with opposition raising the concern over national security.
Let's understand the matter in detail.