JORHAT, March 12: A devastating fire raging on the Dissoi Hills since yesterday has destroyed more than 200 hectares of forests on the Asom-Nagaland border here, a Forest Department official informed.
The forest department has filed an FIR at the Mariani Thana demanding an investigation into the cause of the forest fire. The official said that forest personnels were working round-the-clock to douse the fire which was spreading fast on either side of the New Sonuwal forest camp.
“We have succeeded in puting out the fire in some portions but due to lack of fire tenders the work is progressing very slowly,” the official said. “Huge areas of Bamboo plantations, forest plantation and rare and valuable trees has been destroyed by the fire,” He further said. The Forest Department suspects that the fire might have been started by people burning brush on hillsides to start Jhum cultivation but has not ruled out arson or a natural cause.
“The rubbing together of dry sticks or bamboos due to a prolonged dry spell and hot weatehr may have triggered the conflagration or a carelessly thrown cigarette may have been the reason for the fire,” the official said. The Forest Department has established a forest cutting line by cutting down a vast swathe of trees in a line to prevent the fire from spreading further. “If this forest line does not stop the fire then it will come to a natural end at a rivulet a little further up,” the official said.
The official said that this was the first time such a fire had broken out in this place. THE SENTINEL
The forest department has filed an FIR at the Mariani Thana demanding an investigation into the cause of the forest fire. The official said that forest personnels were working round-the-clock to douse the fire which was spreading fast on either side of the New Sonuwal forest camp.
“We have succeeded in puting out the fire in some portions but due to lack of fire tenders the work is progressing very slowly,” the official said. “Huge areas of Bamboo plantations, forest plantation and rare and valuable trees has been destroyed by the fire,” He further said. The Forest Department suspects that the fire might have been started by people burning brush on hillsides to start Jhum cultivation but has not ruled out arson or a natural cause.
“The rubbing together of dry sticks or bamboos due to a prolonged dry spell and hot weatehr may have triggered the conflagration or a carelessly thrown cigarette may have been the reason for the fire,” the official said. The Forest Department has established a forest cutting line by cutting down a vast swathe of trees in a line to prevent the fire from spreading further. “If this forest line does not stop the fire then it will come to a natural end at a rivulet a little further up,” the official said.
The official said that this was the first time such a fire had broken out in this place. THE SENTINEL
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