The devastating forest fire that broke out in the Nagarahole range of the Nagarahole National Park on February 26 is now said to be under control, according to information received here on Wednesday.
Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Hunsur, Vijayranjan Singh, who was perambulating the affected areas in the range, told The Hindu that compartment no. 4 of the range was the worst hit. Miscreants had set the dried bamboo clumps afire. “There is no record of any forest fire in the compartment area devastated since Sunday,” Mr. Vijayranjan Singh said.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority team visited the fire-hit areas of the park on Wednesday to take stock of the situation in view of the fact the Nagarahole is a significant habitat for the tigers and elephants. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), B.K. Singh, visited the affected areas through the day, Mr. Vijayranjan Singh said. The PCCF had sought a report by Thursday evening. The Department of Forests was assessing the loss of forest cover and related loss with the help of GPS, Mr. Vijayranjan Singh said.
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Environmentalist and president of Wildlife First K.M. Chinnappa said he toured the devastated areas of the park on Tuesday along with a team of 20 members. He blamed the department for not initiating adequate measures to prevent forest fires. Unseasonable rain had saved the forests during early summer last year, he said. He said that it was the worst fire that he had seen in his time.
Casualties
A large number of arboreal creatures as also insects and reptiles could have been died in the conflagration, Mr. Chinnappa said. He estimates that more than 300 acres of green cover could have been lost in the fire. Mr. Chinnappa charged that a probationer officer had refused to allow the 20-member team from Wildlife First to enter the forests initially from Kodagu side on Tuesday. Only after he spoke to the higher officials in the department, the team was allowed to assist in the fire-fighting operations.
Kytolegatte, Metikuppe and Thithimathi areas had suffered extensive damage, he said. Almost all ranges in the park, except Antarasante, had borne the brunt of the fire, he added.
Charge denied
However, Mr. Vijayranjan Singh denied the charge that fire protection measures such as “fire line cutting” were not initiated by the department.
There were more than 100 personnel involved in bringing the fire under control he said, and added that raging tall bamboo clumps had rendered the extinguishing job difficult.
‘No delay'
Mr. Vijayranjan Singh stated that the Range Forest Officer of the Nagarahole Range who noticed small fire at 2.15 p.m. on February 26 swung into action at 2.30 p.m., and ruled out that there was a delay in attending to the crisis. Mr. Vijayranjan Singh also said that the department had taken steps to burn fire lines well in advance. He had shown it to a team of journalists who had visited the areas on Tuesday. “We have succeeded in bringing the fire under control within 30 hours,” he added.
Meanwhile, sources in the department said that the situation had eased in several areas of Anechowkur range that had reported major fire.