Gadchiroli, which is the most forested district of Maharashtra, also has the dubious distinction of being the district recording the highest number of forest fires in the State. In the years 2019 and 2020, as per the information obtained by city-based activist Abhay Kolarkar from Forest Department, forest fire incidents in Gadchiroli district alone constituted 31.38 per cent and 36.90 per cent respectively, of total forest fires recorded in Maharashtra. Kolarkar had sought information under Right to Information (RTI) Act from the office of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Head of Forest Force). In response, he received the forest circle-wise information about forest fire incidents and the loss caused thereof. However, he got the information for the years 2019 and 2020 only, and the department did not make available the information for the year 2021 citing the reason that ‘the information was not complete’.

 

As per the information Kolarkar received, Maharashtra recorded total 7,618 incidents of forest fire in 2019, and 6,228 in 2020. In 2019, of total forest fire incidents reported in the State, the highest 2,391 (31.38 per cent) were reported in Gadchiroli circle alone. Gadchiroli forest circle was followed by Thane with 801 incidents, 750 in Nagpur, 558 in Nagpur wildlife circle, and 545 in Kolhapur circle. Though Gadchiroli circle reported 2,391 forest fire incidents in 2019, it suffered loss of only Rs 43,000/-. In fact, the highest loss of Rs 28.35 lakh (out of Rs 66.19 lakh loss in entire State) was reported in Nagpur wildlife circle, though the number of incidents was 558. In 2020, of a total 6,228 incidents reported in the State, the highest 2,298 (36.90 per cent) were reported in Gadchiroli forest circle. It was followed by Thane with 992 incidents, Nashik with 270, Mumbai wildlife circle with 366 incidents, and Dhule with 361. Nagpur wildlife circle reported 187 incidents. Nagpur forest circle reported 174 incidents. Of total loss of Rs 42.18 lakh caused in forest fire incidents in Maharashtra, the maximum loss of Rs 11.86 lakh was caused in Aurangabad forest circle, which reported 297 incidents.

 

As per the data for both the years, the number of forest fire incidents in 2020 was lesser than that in 2019. Similarly, the loss caused also reduced in 2020 compared to 2019. Meanwhile, as per the ‘India State of Forest Report-2021’, Gadchiroli district topped the list of top 20 districts in the country -- according to number of forest fire detected by Forest Survey of India using SNPP-VIIRS sensors. As many as 10,577 forest fires were detected in Gadchiroli district between November 2020 and June 2021. Interestingly, number of forest fire incidents detected in Maharashtra during the same period stood at 34,025. Further, the ‘India State of Forest Report-2021’ reveals that of the forest cover of 50,798 sq km in Maharashtra, 470.68 sq km is ‘extremely fire prone’, 3,585.37 sq km is ‘very highly fire prone’, 8,540.70 sq km is ‘highly fire prone’, 9,377.92 sq km is ‘moderately fire prone’, and 28,823.33 sq km is ‘less fire prone’. The map showing fire-prone areas forest areas under different fire-prone classes, also showed that most of the ‘extremely’, ‘very highly’, and ‘highly’ fire prone forest areas was concentrated in Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, and Amravati districts. In most cases, forest fire incidents happen because of dry ground, human activity for non-timber forest produce, etc.