Massive fire destroys 5,000 trees at Mulai Kathoni 2.0 riverine forest

Jorhat, Dec 29: A massive fire tore through Mulai Kathoni 2.0, a community-led forest regeneration site near the Baghmara picnic spot, gutting large swathes of green cover and destroying more than 5,000 trees.

The fire, which broke out around 11.25 am on Sunday, also killed birds, insects and other wildlife, dealing a severe blow to years of conservation efforts on the riverine landscape.

Mulai Kathoni 2.0 had been afforested under the initiative of Munmuni Payeng, daughter of Padma Shri awardee and globally acclaimed “Forest Man of India” Jadav Payeng.

“This forest had five-year-old, three-year-old and even one-year-old plants. It was our effort to continue my father’s dream of restoring greenery along the Brahmaputra riverbanks. Unfortunately, over 5,000 plants have been destroyed, along with birds and insects,” Munmuni said, alleging that the fire was deliberately set by miscreants.

According to initial information, the flames spread rapidly across the riverine area, fuelled by dry vegetation, engulfing both saplings and mature trees planted over the last three years as part of sustained regeneration work.

Munmuni said she rushed to the spot as soon as she received information about the fire and spearheaded rescue and firefighting efforts along with volunteers and students.

Despite sustained attempts to contain the blaze, large portions of the regenerated forest were reduced to ash.

“I received information that a fire had been set at Mulai Kathoni 2.0 near the Baghmara eco-camp. Without thinking much, nine of us went there by machine boat. A 30-member team of students from Titabar, who were scheduled to visit the forest, also joined us,” Munmuni said.

Describing the scale of the blaze, she said the situation initially appeared overwhelming. “It was a massive fire. At first, we were not sure whether it could be extinguished. There was nearly a 100-metre-wide river we had to cross. As soon as we reached, no one waited. We used shrubs and branches with our hands and fought the fire for a long time before it could be brought under control,” she added.

Mulai Kathoni 2.0 was launched in 2022, inspired by the work of Jadav Payeng, who transformed a barren sandbar into the famed Mulai Kathoni forest over several decades.

Following the incident, the Majuli district administration and the Forest Department contacted the team to take stock of the situation.

Munmuni said senior officials, including Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, also reached out later in the day.

“The administration and forest department contacted us over the phone. In the evening, the Forest Minister himself called to understand the extent of the damage. We will visit the site again to assess the situation in detail,” she said.

So far, the administration has not issued an official statement on the incident, and further details are awaited.