Fire in Bamboo Area-lessoons from Tadoba National Park

Management of fire in bamboo infested wildlife areas, particularly when bamboos flower gregariously and dry enmass, is a challenging task. Some feel that dried bamboos sheuld be removed as speedily as possible to reduce the fire hazard, whereas others feel that bamboo even after flowering playa valuable role as shelter in wildlife habitat and as they become dry and die, they degenerate and decay as other forms of dead wood and shrubs do, and should not be removed from wildlife areas as such.
In Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra, the operation for extraction of dried bamboos was taken up and it was observed that, due to more emphasis being put on speedy extraction, increased interference in the form of large influx of labours, truck drivers and other people, the uncontrolled situations, the fire incidences increased. The impact of bamboo exploitation was observed on the ecology of the Park: some wildlife populations showed a decline and seasonal migrations of bisons to the Park were affected. All this happened probably due to increased disturbance which was inherent in the process of exploitation itself. Post clearing, lack of cover and dense uniform mat of regeneration of bamboos posed major problems for wildlife.
A special fire protection work plan with emphasis on prompt detection of fire, speedy communication, and a means for suppression and control, as well as educating and involving people for fire protection works, was also tried in bamboo infested area of the Park during the 1984 fire season. This met with excellent result thus dispelling the illusion that extraction of dried bamboos is the only way to save a National Park from fire.