‘Who is fueling fire in Goa’: Cong asks state govt

PANAJI: Suspecting political real estate connection behind the fire incidents taking place across the coastal state, Congress has questioned the BJP government about who is pouring fuel from the 'Fire Triangle' to ignite fire.

Addressing a press conference, Congress General Secretary Viriato Fernandes said that the state government has destroyed trees and the environment of Goa.

"Due to the thick canopy of trees in forest areas, there is no chance to catch fire as temperature remains lower there. But still fire incidents are reported from such areas," Fernandes added.

He said that the temperature is increasing because trees are cut for development projects and therefore the environment is destroyed.

"To ignite fire there is need of three elements of 'Fire triangle', i.e oxygen, fuel and heat. Who is pouring fuel here," he asked.

"Bush fire in Australia or forest fire in America takes place when temperature is 60 degrees celsius plus. But here it was 38 degrees celsius yesterday and it drops during night time. Then how are the fire incidents taking place," he asked.

"It is evident that someone purposely lit the fire. We suspect that there is a political real estate connection. They want to clear the hills. It seems big projects are planned and hence they are clearing the areas by lighting fire," Fernandes said.

"These incidents should be probed by a retired judge and the truth should come out. It is a planned way of destroying the areas," he added.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday held a high-level meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority and had ordered a thorough investigation into the forest fire that spread in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary since the last seven days.

Apart from fire in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, fire incidents from other places of coastal state are also reported.