Iringa intensifies efforts to curb bushfires

IRINGA: IRINGA Regional Commissioner, Mr Kheri James, has directed authorities to take legal action against people found cultivating land after it has been affected by bushfires, saying the measure could help identify those responsible for deliberately setting fires to clear land for farming.

Mr James said that where the person who started a fire could not be identified, authorities should monitor affected areas and take action against anyone who subsequently moved in to cultivate the burnt land.

He issued the directive recently during a campaign against bush and forest fires in Mafinga Town Council, where he urged residents to stop turning a blind eye to fire incidents and later occupying affected areas for farming.

“Where an area has been burnt and the person who started the fire is not known, wait until cultivation begins. Once someone goes there to plant, arrest that person and take them to court,” Mr James said.

He directed regional authorities and local government councils to take appropriate action against people found cultivating in fire-affected areas where the individuals responsible for starting the fires had not been identified.

Mr James said environmental laws would be enforced against people who set fires indiscriminately, warning that uncontrolled fires could cause extensive damage to property, crops, forests and electricity infrastructure.

He criticised the practice of using fire to clear farmland and then leaving the flames unattended, saying some residents start fires without considering the potential consequences.

“We have a habit of clearing farms by setting fires and then returning home to eat ugali. The fire continues burning until it eventually dies out on its own,” he said.

The Regional Commissioner warned that unattended fires could spread to neighbouring farms, forests and homes, putting entire communities at risk.

He said the consequences could extend beyond agricultural and forested areas, noting that fires could also damage electricity infrastructure and disrupt power supplies.

“A person starts a fire, it spreads and reaches a transformer or trees, and the entire town may have to be switched off while emergency teams respond to the incident in one area. And all this can be caused by just one person,” he said.

Mr James urged residents not to assume that people responsible for destructive fires would escape punishment, stressing that the law provided for action against offenders.

He said fires could destroy homes and property belonging to other residents, leaving families without shelter and causing losses that could otherwise have been avoided.

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“This is why we must have a campaign to control indiscriminate bush burning. We must have this campaign,” he stressed.

Mr James also called on residents to report fire incidents promptly and cooperate with authorities in identifying people responsible for starting them.

On his part, Iringa FORLAND Project Coordinator, Mr Nyachia Robert, called for greater cooperation among stakeholders from different sectors, including Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO), conservation authorities and the agriculture sector, to combat fire incidents.

Mr Robert said coordinated action was necessary because fires could affect multiple sectors and require joint intervention.

Mafinga Town Council Director, Peter Ngusa, said the incidence of fires had declined, although efforts to prevent and control them were continuing.

He said the council would continue working with stakeholders and communities to strengthen measures aimed at preventing fires and minimising their impact.