Incessant rains over the past few days in the Mysuru region have doused the threat of forest fires in Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks, much to the relief of the authorities.
While Bandipur had a good spell of unseasonal rains late in March and in early April, it received moderate to heavy rains more recently, putting a cloak of green over the dry deciduous forest. The scenario is similar in the adjoining Nagarahole, where heavy rains have doused the threat of fires for this year. “There were good rains mid-April, but what matters is the spell witnessed in the past few days,” an official said.
According to park officials, while it is common for Bandipur and Nagarahole to receive an occasional spell of rain in March or April, the relief is usually only for a few days. But this year, with the heavy rains in the last week of April, and again in the past few days, the greenery of Bandipur tiger reserve has been revived, said Ambadi Madhav, director of the national park.
Bandipur and Nagarahole turn to tinderboxes with the onset of summer, and even a spark can trigger a conflagration. Both parks also have a history of fires that have devastated vast swathes of forest.
The authorities at Bandipur are gung-ho about another aspect as well. This is the first time in recent years the park did not have a single case of forest fire. “This was a zero-fire year for us and hence is significant. Though the rains did help, we were prepared with fire-fighting equipment,” Mr. Madhav said.
Fires apart, the rains have augmented the storage in the waterholes. There are 373 waterholes, most of which were dry by March with only a handful functioning till mid-April. But now, a majority of them have sufficient water to help the animals get through May, after which the South West Monsoon will set in.
Meanwhile, animal sightings have increased in Bandipur and park officials say that a good number of elephants that otherwise migrate to the Kabini backwaters in search of fodder and water have returned.
