Close on the heels of a fire in Kalkere range of Bandipur on Saturday, another major fire has ravaged large tracts of the N. Begur range, and rangers and guards were fighting to bring it under control late on Monday night.
The fire was first noticed on Sunday night, and though it was brought under control, gusty winds during the day carried burning cinders and fanned a fresh fire. Bandipur National Park Director Hiralal told The Hindu that nearly 80 guards and watchers were struggling to contain the fire. He did not speculate on the extent of damage, saying the immediate priority was to bring the fire under control.
Gusty winds are proving to be the biggest bane this year, as they are stoking fresh fires and there is little that fire lines can do to prevent it
Officials now believe large tracts of 50 to 100 m should be cleared off vegetation – mostly weeds like lantana – around swathes of 200 to 400 hectares of forests to be divided into compartments. In case of fire, it would be confined to that particular compartment only, as there would be no vegetation to stoke a fire.
This is turning out to be one of the worst years for Bandipur which has a history of forest fires given the dry deciduous nature of the vegetation. Besides, lantana which is a dry weed has proliferated and spread to about 60 per cent of the 874 sq km national park while the adjoining Nagarahole is infested with the weed though it is comparatively less. Once the fire burns this weed it tends to grow more vigorously after a few showers.
Officials say though major mammals may have escaped the fire, the young ones of animals, birds, reptiles and insects would have perished in the large-scale fire. Besides, the humus content of the top soil would be destroyed and repeated fires would degrade the habitat, making it unfit for herbivores, which would have a direct bearing on the carnivore population.
Ambligolla fire under control
The devastating forest fire that broke out in Ambligolla and Choradi range forest limits in the periphery of Shettyhalli Wildlife Sanctuary in Sagar taluk on February 18, in which more than 200 acres of vegetation was gutted, has been brought under control.
Though stray incidents of fire in the bamboo grove near Chennapura and Choradi villages were reported on Sunday night, the Forest Department personnel rushed to the spot and doused the flames. On Monday, no fresh incident was reported.
Mohan Gangolli, Deputy Conservator of Forests, told The Hindu that in the wake of the incident, the department has intensified patrolling in the affected areas. As many as 55 field staff have been deployed for firefighting operations in Ambligolla and Choradi ranges, he said.
