Mumbai, February 25 Maharashtra Minister Ganesh Naik said on Wednesday that the state government will provide advanced equipment and strengthen systems to prevent forest fires and improve firefighting capabilities across the state.
Responding to a question raised in the legislative assembly by Congress MLA Jyoti Gaikwad, the forest minister said that local representatives, NGOs, forest officials, and staff are already working in coordination to control forest fires in various regions.
He said that a satellite-based system to detect forest fires has been activated.
According to the minister, incidents of forest fires have been recorded at 204 locations in the Thane district, 36 in Solapur, and 25 in Beed in 2025.
He noted that under joint forest management programs, local citizens are also participating in firefighting and forest protection efforts, with support from forest personnel, teachers, and students in some areas.
Parts of Sindhudurg have forest cover, while nearly 90 per cent of the land in the Ratnagiri district is privately owned. Fires on private lands have led to damage to trees, such as jackfruit, mango, coconut, and areca nut. The issue will be addressed in coordination with the agriculture department, Naik added.
Referring to a recent fire in the Ekveera forest area at Mangalwedha in Solapur district, the minister said that it was caused by an electrical short circuit and was quickly extinguished due to the prompt response of the fire brigade.
He said that the state-run electricity company will be instructed to replace old wiring to prevent such incidents in the future.
Naik also said that precautionary measures, including cleaning of temple premises in vulnerable areas, will be undertaken to reduce the risk of fires.