Australian PM says could have tackled forest fire issues better
The fire that has spread in the forests of Australia for the last 4 months his still ongoing. Here the new year started with the same concern. However, the bushfire had started since last September in Australia. At least 28 people have died due to this fire. A part of Australia, larger than Denmark, is under fire. It is feared that the situation will be worse. The breaking of temperature records, dry forest and strong wind has made the fire more catastrophic. Since 2017, rainfall has been less frequent in New South Wales and Queensland.
A firefighter, who had been struggling all night with the crisis of forest fire, was killed suddenly by falling of a tree. The whole of South Eastern Australia is battling wildfires and many firefighters are engaged in extinguishing it. Chris Hardman, executive director of Victoria’s One Fire Engineer Management, said one of these firemen, Bill Slade, died near Omeo in eastern Victoria State on Saturday. He said that 60-year-old Slade was praised in November last year for his 40 years of service in the forest agency.
Not only rain affected the agricultural production but it also helped in spreading the fire. In South Wales, an area of about one crore acres has been burnt down. Australia is generally hot and dry during the summer season, but due to climate change, the range of drought and heat has increased, so the bushes also dried up. Every state in Australia is affected by fire but the worst is New South Wales. Australia’s major cities Melbourne and Sydney are also affected by the fire. Sydney’s air quality reached a dangerous level in early December. The summer season in Australia lasts from December to February. According to Time magazine, about 30% of the forest in New South Wales is burnt.
There are apprehensions that this week the numbers could go up to 50% if there is no rainfall. According to Australia’s Meteorological Department, 2019 was the hottest year. Statistics show that Australia’s temperature has risen by one degree Celsius since 1910. Temperatures above 40 degrees were recorded in every state at the end of December, including the state of Tasmania, which is generally colder than other areas. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has expressed regret for the way the firefighters have been dealt with. Scott Morrison is facing criticism over his government’s stand on the issue of fire and climate change.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitted, “I could have handled many things better on the ground.” Scott Morrison has been subjected to public opposition during visits to fire-hit areas in the states of New South Wales and Victoria over the past few weeks. The Scott Morrison government has been accused of not taking adequate steps on the issue of climate change. Experts say that due to the attitude of the government on climate change, frequent and terrible fires are taking place.
