A major fire reportedly broke out on a hillock in Canca-Tivim on Tuesday afternoon, starting from dry grass set ablaze, creating thick smoke over a large area. The fire was brought under control by the fire personnel. However, another fire broke out and continued to spread, causing further damage to cashew and other plantations. The fire will also present a potential threat to wildlife in the nearby forests. Such fires of dry grass which then spread to plantations raise a pertinent question. Are these fires set on purpose to destroy plantations in order to make way to real estate development? It must be said that setting fire to any plantation is the easiest way to clear the area for real estate development. The owner of the plantation may not have the necessary resources to grow the plantation over again and may decide to sell the land to real estate developers. The reason for every wildfire occurring in the state needs to be investigated. If not, the green cover will be depleted and be replaced by concrete jungles. Our forest cover and plantations need to be guarded against land sharks.
