Forest fires triggering old land mines worry PTR officials

01 April 2021

Published by https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

INDIA – Daltonganj: Officials of the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) said on Wednesday that the rise in temperature has increased the chances of fire breaking out in the protected area.

The deputy director (South division) of the PTR, Mukesh Kumar, said, they have so far received 200 fire alerts since February 15 in the tiger reserve through satellite images provided by the Forest Survey of India. He added that this number is higher than usual. “More episodes of fire occur as westerly winds gain momentum. The fire season in the tiger reserve begins from the second week of February and continues till the onset of rains in June,” he said.

PTR sources said the chances of improvised explosive devices and land mines laid by Maoists setting off also increase during forest fires.

Kumar said there was a big IED blast at Gopakhar under the Garu east range of the PTR when a surface fire had broken out about two weeks ago.

He said the fire fighters know how to deal with surface fire but become helpless and scared when land mines laid by Maoists, too, start going off during the forest fires.