Three persons arrested after miscreants set remote forests on fire

Neil Island (South Andaman), Apr 9 (UNI) Three persons were arrested today after they set some trees on fire on revenue land, with intentions to encroach into the forest area.

Neil, a small island with a population of nearly 5,000, is very close to Port Blair.

''The incident occurred on Friday evening, when we received information that the Neil Island forests have caught fire and it was out of control,'' Andaman District Superintendent of Police Ashok Chand told UNI.

A team of officers, including Assistant Commissioner and Deputy SP, South Andaman, Chief Fire Officer and Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn) Officers alongwith equipments, were rushed to the Neil Island to assist the local fire brigade to mount an intensive fire-fighting operation.

The operation continued throughout the night until next day, Mr Chand said.

The Fire Service, IRBn and Police personnel along with Forest Department staff and local volunteers worked together to control the fire, the SP added.

Enquiry into the matter had been undertaken by the Revenue Authorities who later lodged complaints against the three, who, they alleged, deliberately set the fire, Mr Chand said.

The three accused were then arrested by the Andaman and Nicobar Police while further investigation were in progress.

Neil is one of the highest vegetable-producing islands in this archipelago and to have more cultivable land islanders often clear the forests.

''We have, since many years, been urging the local administration to take action in this regard. Large areas of forest have already been cleared by encroachers, this is the first case when offenders were arrested,'' said Bimal Roy, a social worker and former Pradhan of Neil Island.

UNI