Unchecked fires inside Aarey Milk Colony are not just harming the biodiversity in the green zone, but also damaging the firing range of Force One, the state’s elite anti-terror unit. There have been 10-15 forest fires inside Aarey in the past two weeks, said activists. Anti-social elements trying to grab land are behind these fires, they assert. There were over 50 such fires in Aarey and its vicinity last year.

Alarmed by the repeated fires, Force One authorities have put up a notice on their premises highlighting the dangers.  “It has been observed that in the firing range within the jurisdiction of Force One, someone is deliberately lighting up fires. The fire poses a threat to the government property and people residing within the jurisdiction. Due to a recent fire, a section of the firing range suffered damage,” reads the notice.