Over 24,000 forest fire cases reported this year: Govt

There have been more than 24,000 forest fires reported from across the country this year with over 2,500 cases each reported from Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Lok Sabha was informed today.
Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said in a written reply that the report submitted by the central team of experts set up by the Home Ministry suggests that most of the forest fires are caused due to human neglect.
According to data furnished by the minister, a total of 24,817 forest fires were reported in 2016 till June. 15,937 forest fires were reported during 2015.
Among them, 2,763 forest fires were reported in Odisha, 2,675 in Madhya Pradesh and 2,808 in Chhattisgarh till June this year.

The other states where forest fires have been reported this year till June are 1874 in Maharashtra, 1766 in Assam, 1105 in Manipur, 1318 in Mizoram, 1501 in Uttarakhand and 1699 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
"The Ministry of Home Affairs had set up a central team of experts to visit the forest fire affected areas of Uttarakhand and also to take stock of the situation and suggest appropriate measures to combat forest fires.
"The report of the central team of experts suggests that most of the forest fires are caused due to human neglect," Dave said.
He said that the key recommendations of the committee include wide application of forest management practices such as fire lines, control burning, use of operation fire detection system, use of improved technology and tools to combat forest fires, strengthen mobility and communication, community outreach activities, training and capacity building, use of space technology for detection as well as management of forest fires.