Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A major fire ripped through the Bijasan Ramna forest area on Tuesday, marking the second such incident in the range within 20 days. The blaze destroyed several hectares of land and thousands of saplings planted during previous government reforestation drives.
The fire broke out in the rear portion of the 14-hectare forest. Fed by dry summer grass and rising temperatures, the flames engulfed two to three hectares in a matter of minutes.
Ranger Sangeeta Thakur, who oversaw the emergency response, provided details on the extent of the damage. "The fire had spread significantly across the area before it could be fully contained," Thakur said.
The response involved a joint effort between forest guards, local villagers, and the Indore Municipal Corporation. It took the fire brigade approximately two and a half hours to extinguish the flames using water tankers and chemical foam.
Thakur said that many young plants were unfortunately destroyed in the blaze.
She explained that, based on an initial assessment, the fire was triggered by a short circuit in the electricity company’s distribution panel (DP) located within the forest premises. "Unfortunately, a number of young plants were destroyed in the blaze," she added.
Despite the official explanation citing an electrical fault, the incident has intensified scrutiny over the survival rates of the Hariyali Mahotsav plantation project. Internal data reveals a stark discrepancy:
Thakur noted that the department is investigating the recurring nature of these electrical faults. Meanwhile, authorities are looking into whether these fires are being used to mask the high mortality rate of the missing 12,000 saplings, especially since 2,000 to 3,000 of the surviving plants were only recently put in the ground.
