The major fire, which broke out three days back in Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks on the sensitive Niligiri biosphere in the Western Ghats, had a devastating effect on the flora and fauna. According to forest officials, thousands of acres of sensitive forests have been burnt, damaging its sensitive eco-system. Both Bandipur and Nagarahole have the highest number of tigers and elephants in the country.
A forest official said large tract of forest in Bandipur Tiger Reserve has been engulfed and their staff is still fighting the fire. He said “Bamboo clumps, trees and ground vegetation have been lost, which we first noticed near the Mangala reservoir, in the tourism zone. Five forest ranges, Bandipur, Gopalaswamy Betta, Maddur, Omkara and Moliyur have been affected. According to NM Naveen Kumar, Honourary Wildlife Warden, Chamarajanagar, said that this was one of the worst forest fires. It has engulfed everything, creating a major void, in the eco-sensitive forest.
Principal chief conservator of forest (Wildlife) Vinay lutra, who rushed to Bandipur to take stock of the situation, says forest officials have been fighting the fire, as a priority. He added “Our priority was to put out the fire and we can assess the damage later.” According to HC Kantharaj, director Bandipur Tiger Reserve, steps have been taken to douse the fire and no causalities have been reported so far.
A forest official said that more than 1,600 acres of virgin forest have been destroyed in the past three days. He said, “It is not natural but man-made fire. We are planning to ask for an investigation by the CID in this matter.” According to green activists the fire, in two forest reserves at the same time on the same day, has sparked various theories of conspiracy and sabotage. It has reportedly killed small animals, birds and plants apart from a huge tract of forest loss.
According to forest officials, both the forest range has huge bamboo shoots across and dried bamboo was the prime reason why the fire could not be controlled. The sparks of bamboos, which are hollow in nature, jumps more than 20 to 30 metres when fire breaks out. It is not possible to douse the fire in these conditions, especially when heavy winds aggravate the fire.
Bamboo grass was planted on a large scale in the early 1970’s, with an intention to maintain fodder supply to the pachyderms, and to provide bamboo to the Government-run Bhadaravathi paper mills. But once the ranges were declared as Tiger Reserves, it prevented the authorities from cutting the bamboo, with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) strictly banning felling of trees or any kind of harvestation of grass or other tree species. Both the reserve forests have highest number of tiger density in the country apart from over 6,000 elephants. This patch of land has been declared as one of the most sensitive eco zones in the world in the Nilgiri Biosphere.