CORE FOREST AREA IN NAGARAHOLE REDUCED TO ASHES

by **Admin** Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:53 pm

Mysore, Mar. 2- At least 600 hectares of forest area in the Nagarahole National Park has been destroyed by wild fire, including 580 hectares of the core area, according to the GPS survey conducted by the Forest Department.

The core area of the forest, which is said to be the habitat of more than 70 tigers, has been reduced to ashes after miscreants allegedly started a fire on Sunday.

The fire is said to be started at around 2.30 pm on Sunday and doused around 8 pm on Monday. A large number of reptiles, their young ones and eggs, Malabar giant squirrels, langurs, mongooses, jungle fowls and other smaller beings living in the dry bamboo bushes were destroyed in the fire. However, no tiger or elephant deaths have been reported yet.

Nearly one foot of thick ash was found in areas like Kaithole, Gonigadde, Marappana Kere, Kunthur Kere and Doddahalla.

This part covered 643 sq km of the main tourist area, thus forcing cancellation of safari for the next three weeks.

Forest Minister C.P. Yogeshwar, who visited the forest yesterday and conducted an inspection along with Forest Department officials, suspected the role of some miscreants behind the fire. "We will regenerate the forest in five years by planting bamboo seedlings," the Minister said.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B.K. Singh will soon submit a report on the cause of the fire, said the Minister and added that suitable action against those found guilty.

Conservator and Director of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve Vijay Ranjan Singh alleged that a conspiracy had been hatched to spoil the image of sincere officials and the Department by starting a fire deliberately in the tiger reserve to draw national attention.

Assistant Field Director (Project Tiger) B.J. Hosmath said around 100 personnel had toiled to douse the fire.