Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jan 26: With the forest fire season setting in, the Mangaluru circle of the Forest Department has intensified surveillance across vulnerable forest stretches by deploying nearly 300 forest watchers in sensitive zones to prevent and respond swiftly to fire incidents.

The Mangaluru Circle covers the revenue districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, along with parts of Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts. To ensure constant monitoring and rapid response, the department has established around 70 fire camps, particularly across the 2.9 lac hectares of forest land, most of which lies in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.

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V Karikalan, conservator of forests, Mangaluru circle, said the department has completed extensive preparedness measures ahead of the fire season. “As part of our preparedness exercise, we have completed fire-line clearance and controlled burning along nearly 2,100 km,” he said.

Fire lines are created along regular patrol routes and roads by clearing vegetation, forming a buffer to prevent flames from jumping from one forest compartment to another.

“To strengthen ground response, around 300 fire watchers have been engaged from January, largely drawn from nearby villages and tribal communities. This gives us better local support and ensures quicker response,” Karikalan said. The fire watchers are stationed across 70 camps, enabling teams to be mobilised immediately to douse flames whenever a fire is reported.

He added that about 10 fire camps each have been set up to cover all identified sensitive points. “While fire watchers are normally engaged till March, their tenure may be extended to April or May if summer conditions persist,” he said.

In addition, the department has been conducting fire drills and awareness programmes since December, in coordination with the Fire and Emergency Services and the Health Department. Fire drills are held at district and taluk levels, while awareness campaigns are organised in schools, colleges and forest-fringe villages to discourage human-induced forest fires.

Meetings have also been held with panchayat members and revenue officials to ensure coordinated action. All forest ranges and divisions have been equipped with firefighting gear, including water sprayers, masks, goggles, gloves and other protective equipment. Each fire camp has been provided with an additional vehicle and a water tanker to ensure immediate availability of water during emergencies.

The department has also identified key water sources to support firefighting operations. If necessary, drones will be deployed to detect forest fires at an early stage. “In cases of severe fires where ground access is difficult, we may also seek assistance from the Indian Air Force through a designated nodal officer,” Karikalan added.