Rising forest fires in Telangana

Forest fires are rapidly increasing in Telangana, placing the state sixth in India in terms of forest fire incidents over the past three years. A total of 44,247 incidents were recorded. Between November last year and May this year alone, 14,915 fire incidents occurred, of which 14,021 were brought under control by forest staff, according to the department report.

The Forest Survey of India data shows Odisha leading with 84,605 fire incidents. In Telangana, an average of 14,749 fires occur annually, mainly due to human negligence such as careless disposal of cigarette butts and unattended cooking fires. Kaleshwaram and Bhadrachalam regions reported the highest fire points, while funding constraints continue to challenge prevention efforts.