Bandipur, 13th June, 2023: The dry deciduous forests of Bandipur Tiger Reserve in the Chamarajanagar district and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Ramanagar districts in the state of Karnataka faced forest fires every year. The Protected Areas lie in the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot and are part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. With over 360 tigers (Panthera tigris) and 2500 Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in the landscape, forest fires have been a major threat to the reserve.

“Forest fires have been prevalent in the region, particularly during the dry season. These fires are frequently triggered by human activity such as agricultural waste burning, unauthorised campfires, and cigarette butts. Fires can spread quickly, particularly in places with dense vegetation and dry leaves”, says Mr. Venkata Naidu, assistant manager in Wildlife Crime Control Division at WTI.

After effects of Forest fire in Bandipur in February 2019 | Photograph by Venkata Naidu/WTI

In 2019, there was a massive fire in Bandipur Tiger Reserve which burned down 15,400 acres of forest across nine ranges. After careful consideration, Mr. Venkata came up with the idea of a jeep-mounted water sprayer as the Fire Emergency Services was not accessible to come inside the forest and could mobilise only 250 litres of water. Wildlife Trust of India sanctioned a Rapid Action Project in 2019- 20 and 2020-21 to prevent and control forest fires in Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary through the support of DSWF. The strategy adopted as part of the RAP involved the modification of a vehicle with water sprayers to maintain fire lines and control fires. Jeeps and tractors were tried out for innovation and the former were found to be more convenient to drive in difficult terrains. These modified jeeps could also carry up to 500 litres of water. A 500-litre tank was attached to a jeep’s engine with the help of a High-Density Polyethylene pipe (HDPE). The pipe ensured that water was efficiently discharged with turbojet guns up to 20 feet distance. The pipe was also capable of sucking water from water sources inside the parks up to a depth of 20 feet for refilling the tank. This method proved to be very successful for small fires, and watering road sites after controlled burning.

The modified tractor in action at Bandipur TR | Photograph by Venkata Naidu/WTI

The frontline staff managed to douse two major fires and create fire lines in February-May 2021 using the tractor. In addition, the department also procured 11 Jeep cum tractor-modified water sprayers to be distributed across Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Nagarhole Tiger Reserve for forest fire mitigation in the summers. Nagarhole Tiger Reserve also upgraded models of the same jeep-mounted water sprayer to include features like a display of the water capacity and a rolling system for the pipe. In addition, the daily patrolling of the frontline staff has helped motivate the villagers to voluntarily make fire lines near their area. The innovation was quite a hit and was replicated by the Karnataka Forest Department in other protected areas. Another jeep was given out as RAP aid in 2021-22 to the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala with the support of Fondation Segré.

Leaf blower being used to create fire lines | Photograph by Pushpendranath D

Using leaf blowers to control forest fires was another similar attempt. Leaf blowers blow wind at a high velocity, ending fires instead of increasing them. These have been effective in controlling fires caused by dry grass. They are also being used to create control lines by sweeping the burning material back toward the already burned area and cutting off the inflammable materials, thereby ending the fire. This was first tested out via a RAP at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and proved to be highly effective in dousing fires. Through JTEF’s support in 2021-22, WTI provided 4 leaf blowers and 20 water canisters (25 Liter capacity) to the Tiger Reserve to be used in the fire season. They were able to successfully douse 2-3 forest fires and create fire lines to prevent the spread across forest patches. Owing to the success of this innovation, a blower was also provided to Kannur forest division in Kerala in the same year with the support of SPF.

Through RAP’s, we collaborate with grassroots organisations, government agencies and community stakeholders to overcome spatial and temporal limitations and to provide help where and when it is needed the most.