Forest fires: govt gets tough with culprits

Irangika RANGE

The government will take tough action against poachers who deliberately set fire to forests, Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday.

Addressing a media-briefing in Colombo, the minister said President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the Police and the STF to nab culprits and take stern action against them.

He said the President has appointed a special committee comprising officials from the Agrarian Services and Wildlife Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, Disaster Management Ministry, Defence Ministry, Environment Ministry and Irrigation and Water Resources Management Ministry to formulate an action plan to prevent inhabitants from setting fire to forests within the next six months.

"The committee members are negotiating to amend the Act if it necessary to prevent such illegal activities," Amaraweera said. The minister said 64 forest fires have been reported during the past two weeks.

He said 16 fires in the Badulla district, 22 in the Moneragala district, 24 in the Nuwara Eliya district and four in the Matale district were recorded.

The minister said soil erosion and landslides could occur due to these acts. The recent forest fires in Badulla, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Moneragala and the Kandy districts were suspected to be intentionally carried out by people in these areas to hunt animals, cut trees and obtain fresh grass for cattle.

The minister called upon the public to support the government's endeavor to protect forest reserves countrywide.