Chennai: To tackle forest fires more effectively, Tamil Nadu’s forest department has introduced an all-terrain vehicle capable of dousing flames in remote, off-road areas that are otherwise difficult to reach during emergencies.The state’s forest fire season runs from Feb to June. Fire incidents hit an all-time high of 218 in 2024, before dropping to 112 in 2025. This year, 134 incidents have been recorded so far.State forest secretary Supriya Sahu said the all-terrain vehicle has a water storage capacity of 500l and that it can both draw and spray water on fire-affected areas. Another key addition is a mobile laboratory designed to treat injured wildlife and collect evidence from crime scenes involving animals.Developed by Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation, the field-deployable unit is intended for health monitoring, disease surveillance and forensic investigation at wildlife crime locations. The unit is equipped with a centrifuge, a compound microscope, a haematology analyser, a serum biochemistry analyser, refrigerators, -20-degree freezers, a fire extinguisher and an inverter.
