Prakash Kamat
Panaji, November 18- A note for the Goa State Chief Secretary, Goa government on Prevention of wild fires in Goa during the vulnerable season November 2019 to to May 2020.
The following note(made available to this blogger by researcher and Goan intellectual-writer-social activist Dr. Nandakumar Kamat himself,is based on his previous appeal to CS, Goa Dr. J.P.Singh ,IAS, who was supportive but couldnt initiate action as there were some other issues like regional plan agitation that year.
This year it would be a major natural disaster unless you follow these ideas and act immediately to save property, crops, lives and reduce pollution.
"Its a tragedy that I raise this issue every year with the authorities without much action," laments Dr. Kamat.
Due to
1. Extended monsoon there is more biomass
2. Due to high daily max temperature the dry biomass is prone to fire
3. The wind velocity increases from this month thus pumping in more Oxygen
4. Low soil moisture is promoting the forefront
YOU WOULD BE READING WILDFIRE INCIDENTS EVERY WEEK NOW SOME INVOLVING FORESTS, SOME INVOLVING CASHEW OR ARECA PLANTATIONS AND MOST INVOLVING INDUSTRIAL ESTATES ON PLATEAUS WITH GRASSlands and grassy hillsides.
(---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dr. Nandakumar Kamat <nkamat@unigoa.ac.in>
Date: Tue, Oct 17, 2006 at 4:52 PM
Subject: A note on action plan for prevention of wild fires in Goa casuing economic losses
To: cs-goa@nic.in
Cc: nandkamat@gmail.com)
Introduction:-
Every year wild fires cause a huge loss of property, vegetation, plantations, biodiversity and wildlife besides increasing air pollution and disease load. From November to May Goa gets a dirty haze in the
atmosphere upto an altitude of three kms. because of this pollution. So far there is no co-ordinated action on this issue. to prevent such incidents. Most of the damage is controlled by the fire department when
thry get a call. Amendments to state fire act are necessary besides implementation of following actions before the dreaded wild fire season begins next month ( December 2019).
The meeting to be called by Revenue department would discuss the Action to be taken by the government
Departments/agencies/corporations to be involved in action:-
1. Chief fire officer ( to issue directions under state act)
2. Forest dept.
3. Home department and Goa Police
4. State disaster management authority
5. PWD
6. GIDC
7. Dir. Of Panchayats
8. Dir. Of municipal administration
9. Goa state pollution control board
10. Revenue authorities
11. Dept. of information & publicity
12. Agriculture dept.
13. State housing board
14. IMD, Goa (to share information on weather esp. wind speed and direction)
Statement of the problem:-
Climate change has caused rapid soil moisture losss and increase in dry inflammable material. Old fire barriers such as walls of stones, fire resistant thorny trees at frm borers etc have been extinct. Every year non cutting of inflammable dry vegetation especially the wild grass causes fires-damaging live vegetation, wildlife, plantations, telecom cables, public property and causing massive air pollution. The acrid smoke affects the traffic and increases respiratory illnesses. Wild fires reduce visibility disturbing the airborne traffic. In advance preventive action by all stakeholders can reduce and minimize the instances of wild fires. The following plan of action is suggested to the government.
The recommended action plan:-
Action Time span:- November 2019 for preventive action, December
2019 to May 2020 action for both prevention and control
The general principle to be observed in preventing fires is not to indulge in "controlled fires' or burning small strips of dry grass/vegetation. The vegetation needs to be cut, removed, buried/composted before it dries up
and then catches fire. All these operations need to be supervised by an authorised person trained by the firedepartment.
1. The government must direct the chief fire officer to issue notices to all concerned parties with large areas which sport wild vegetation and have a chronic history of destructive widepsread fires-e.g. All India
radio, Goa University, Goa engineering college, Military camps, industrial estates etc. which are prone to wild fires every year. These parties need to be given a month’s time (ideally before November 30) to clear all the
inflammable wild grass and dry matter, on war footing . The fire officer must then inspect and verify the compliance. The fire officer must be empowered to call a meeting of all stakeholders to apprise them of the
problems of wild fires and the measures to prevent these.
2. The PWD (roads and highways) need to take preemptive action to cut the roadside bushes, wild grass etc. which is prone to fire every year. The action needs to be taken first along NH-17 A ( now 66) and NH-4 A, and Major district roads. Special attention needs to be paid to road shoulders near hairpin bends, ‘U” turns, and approaches to the bridges and culverts.
3. The directorate of panchayats must issue a circular to all the village panchayats to clear the public areas prone to wild fires and also assist the communidades to do the same on hill slopes prone to wild fires every
year. The directorate must file a compliance report to the CS.
4. The directorate of municipal administration must instruct the municipal councils to identify the areas prone to wild fires and cut the inflammable wild grass etc. well in advance before it catches fire.
5. Huge wild fires are caused in Goa’s forest areas. Many a times this fire spreads from the shoulders of the roads towards the interiors. The forest department need to identify areas prone to such wild fires and take
preventive steps. It must also have contingency plans to deal with large scale forest fires.
6. Goa state pollution control board is empowered to take action under air pollution control act. It must create awareness about the harmful effects of wild fires. Using its’ mobile laboratory or portable samplers, It must monitor the ambient air quality in areas where large scale wild fires are reported and alert the people about pollution episodes.
7. The Goa police must issue a public notice warning the pyromaniacs or anti social elements of stern action if they are found indulging in putting deliberate fires to wild vegetation and cashew, mango and other orchards, sugarcane and cash crop plantations.
8. The government need to direct the GIDC to get the wild vegetation near the industrial units cleared in all the industrial estates before end of November 2019
30. On priority basis this has to be done near industries which are hazardous or use inflammable materials as raw material or finished products. Fire barriers need to be created by GIDC with fire retardant
materials.
9. The agriculture department need to instruct the zonal agricultural offices to work closely with orchard/plantation (cashew, Mango, bananas) owners to maintain their areas free of wild grasses etc. which catch fire and cause economic losses. The ZAO’s must co-ordinate the clearance drive
to save the fertile fire prone areas.
10. The state disaster management authority must get the records from previous years’ newspaper reports and the fire department’s duty logbooks to prepare a wildfire map of Goa. The time and place of many wild fires
can then be predicted .
11. The directorate of information and publicity must launch an awareness campaign in both print and visual media to educate people and institutions on prevention of wild fires during the winter and summer.
12. The Goa housing board must get all fire prone areas within the housing colonies promptly cleared.
The government may constitute a state level task force under the state disaster management authority with representations of all above stake holders, NGOS and experts. The government must also open a 24 hours-Wild
fire prevention and control helpline active from November 21, 2019 till 31 May 2020 or
the onset of the monsoon whichever is later.
Financial and technical aspects:-the government need to provide some reasonable funds, grass cutting machines, fire retardants , water tanks and hired labourers for the suceess of the above actions from a central
pool.
It is my firm belief , on the basis of the study of this problem for many years in the wild fire prone Goa University Campus, Taleigao, that if the above actions are positively taken before November 30, 2019 then it would reduce losses and people would also understand the importance of preventing disasters. Oherwise it would be same old story year after year.
I sincerely request the government to act on this matter in public interest urgently before the fire brigade receives the first call of this season.
--
Dr. Nandkumar M. Kamat,
Asst. Professor, Department of Botany, Goa University, Taleigao, Goa.
Panaji, November 18- A note for the Goa State Chief Secretary, Goa government on Prevention of wild fires in Goa during the vulnerable season November 2019 to to May 2020.
The following note(made available to this blogger by researcher and Goan intellectual-writer-social activist Dr. Nandakumar Kamat himself,is based on his previous appeal to CS, Goa Dr. J.P.Singh ,IAS, who was supportive but couldnt initiate action as there were some other issues like regional plan agitation that year.
This year it would be a major natural disaster unless you follow these ideas and act immediately to save property, crops, lives and reduce pollution.
"Its a tragedy that I raise this issue every year with the authorities without much action," laments Dr. Kamat.
Due to
1. Extended monsoon there is more biomass
2. Due to high daily max temperature the dry biomass is prone to fire
3. The wind velocity increases from this month thus pumping in more Oxygen
4. Low soil moisture is promoting the forefront
YOU WOULD BE READING WILDFIRE INCIDENTS EVERY WEEK NOW SOME INVOLVING FORESTS, SOME INVOLVING CASHEW OR ARECA PLANTATIONS AND MOST INVOLVING INDUSTRIAL ESTATES ON PLATEAUS WITH GRASSlands and grassy hillsides.
- The damages would astound the administration by February March
(---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dr. Nandakumar Kamat <nkamat@unigoa.ac.in>
Date: Tue, Oct 17, 2006 at 4:52 PM
Subject: A note on action plan for prevention of wild fires in Goa casuing economic losses
To: cs-goa@nic.in
Cc: nandkamat@gmail.com)
Introduction:-
Every year wild fires cause a huge loss of property, vegetation, plantations, biodiversity and wildlife besides increasing air pollution and disease load. From November to May Goa gets a dirty haze in the
atmosphere upto an altitude of three kms. because of this pollution. So far there is no co-ordinated action on this issue. to prevent such incidents. Most of the damage is controlled by the fire department when
thry get a call. Amendments to state fire act are necessary besides implementation of following actions before the dreaded wild fire season begins next month ( December 2019).
The meeting to be called by Revenue department would discuss the Action to be taken by the government
Departments/agencies/corporations to be involved in action:-
1. Chief fire officer ( to issue directions under state act)
2. Forest dept.
3. Home department and Goa Police
4. State disaster management authority
5. PWD
6. GIDC
7. Dir. Of Panchayats
8. Dir. Of municipal administration
9. Goa state pollution control board
10. Revenue authorities
11. Dept. of information & publicity
12. Agriculture dept.
13. State housing board
14. IMD, Goa (to share information on weather esp. wind speed and direction)
Statement of the problem:-
Climate change has caused rapid soil moisture losss and increase in dry inflammable material. Old fire barriers such as walls of stones, fire resistant thorny trees at frm borers etc have been extinct. Every year non cutting of inflammable dry vegetation especially the wild grass causes fires-damaging live vegetation, wildlife, plantations, telecom cables, public property and causing massive air pollution. The acrid smoke affects the traffic and increases respiratory illnesses. Wild fires reduce visibility disturbing the airborne traffic. In advance preventive action by all stakeholders can reduce and minimize the instances of wild fires. The following plan of action is suggested to the government.
The recommended action plan:-
Action Time span:- November 2019 for preventive action, December
2019 to May 2020 action for both prevention and control
The general principle to be observed in preventing fires is not to indulge in "controlled fires' or burning small strips of dry grass/vegetation. The vegetation needs to be cut, removed, buried/composted before it dries up
and then catches fire. All these operations need to be supervised by an authorised person trained by the firedepartment.
1. The government must direct the chief fire officer to issue notices to all concerned parties with large areas which sport wild vegetation and have a chronic history of destructive widepsread fires-e.g. All India
radio, Goa University, Goa engineering college, Military camps, industrial estates etc. which are prone to wild fires every year. These parties need to be given a month’s time (ideally before November 30) to clear all the
inflammable wild grass and dry matter, on war footing . The fire officer must then inspect and verify the compliance. The fire officer must be empowered to call a meeting of all stakeholders to apprise them of the
problems of wild fires and the measures to prevent these.
2. The PWD (roads and highways) need to take preemptive action to cut the roadside bushes, wild grass etc. which is prone to fire every year. The action needs to be taken first along NH-17 A ( now 66) and NH-4 A, and Major district roads. Special attention needs to be paid to road shoulders near hairpin bends, ‘U” turns, and approaches to the bridges and culverts.
3. The directorate of panchayats must issue a circular to all the village panchayats to clear the public areas prone to wild fires and also assist the communidades to do the same on hill slopes prone to wild fires every
year. The directorate must file a compliance report to the CS.
4. The directorate of municipal administration must instruct the municipal councils to identify the areas prone to wild fires and cut the inflammable wild grass etc. well in advance before it catches fire.
5. Huge wild fires are caused in Goa’s forest areas. Many a times this fire spreads from the shoulders of the roads towards the interiors. The forest department need to identify areas prone to such wild fires and take
preventive steps. It must also have contingency plans to deal with large scale forest fires.
6. Goa state pollution control board is empowered to take action under air pollution control act. It must create awareness about the harmful effects of wild fires. Using its’ mobile laboratory or portable samplers, It must monitor the ambient air quality in areas where large scale wild fires are reported and alert the people about pollution episodes.
7. The Goa police must issue a public notice warning the pyromaniacs or anti social elements of stern action if they are found indulging in putting deliberate fires to wild vegetation and cashew, mango and other orchards, sugarcane and cash crop plantations.
8. The government need to direct the GIDC to get the wild vegetation near the industrial units cleared in all the industrial estates before end of November 2019
30. On priority basis this has to be done near industries which are hazardous or use inflammable materials as raw material or finished products. Fire barriers need to be created by GIDC with fire retardant
materials.
9. The agriculture department need to instruct the zonal agricultural offices to work closely with orchard/plantation (cashew, Mango, bananas) owners to maintain their areas free of wild grasses etc. which catch fire and cause economic losses. The ZAO’s must co-ordinate the clearance drive
to save the fertile fire prone areas.
10. The state disaster management authority must get the records from previous years’ newspaper reports and the fire department’s duty logbooks to prepare a wildfire map of Goa. The time and place of many wild fires
can then be predicted .
11. The directorate of information and publicity must launch an awareness campaign in both print and visual media to educate people and institutions on prevention of wild fires during the winter and summer.
12. The Goa housing board must get all fire prone areas within the housing colonies promptly cleared.
The government may constitute a state level task force under the state disaster management authority with representations of all above stake holders, NGOS and experts. The government must also open a 24 hours-Wild
fire prevention and control helpline active from November 21, 2019 till 31 May 2020 or
the onset of the monsoon whichever is later.
Financial and technical aspects:-the government need to provide some reasonable funds, grass cutting machines, fire retardants , water tanks and hired labourers for the suceess of the above actions from a central
pool.
It is my firm belief , on the basis of the study of this problem for many years in the wild fire prone Goa University Campus, Taleigao, that if the above actions are positively taken before November 30, 2019 then it would reduce losses and people would also understand the importance of preventing disasters. Oherwise it would be same old story year after year.
I sincerely request the government to act on this matter in public interest urgently before the fire brigade receives the first call of this season.
--
Dr. Nandkumar M. Kamat,
Asst. Professor, Department of Botany, Goa University, Taleigao, Goa.
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