<p>The Karnataka Forest Department, which has been struggling to contain the spread of the wildfire in Bandipur Tiger Reserve for over four days, faced more trouble on Monday as forest fires were reported from several parts of the state, reducing pristine forests to ash.</p>.<p>Even as the department was grappling in the dark to check the raging fire, it received a shot in the arm with the state government sending out an SOS to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to deploy choppers to douse the fire.</p>.<p>For the first time in Karnataka and the second time in South India, IAF choppers rushed to put out the fire following a request by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy who apprised IAF officials on Monday morning after personally reviewing the situation in Bandipur with his officials. The IAF deployed two Mi-17 V5 choppers towards the end of the day. The IAF had assisted Andhra Pradesh in 2014 to douse the fire across Tirumala hills.</p>.<p>Lifting water from the nearby Hirekere near Berambadi tanks, the choppers with ‘Bambi buckets’ sprayed water over Karadikal Betta and Chamana Halla region within the Gopalaswamy Betta Range of the Tiger Reserve. Carrying out nine sorties till late in the evening, the choppers sprayed about two tonnes of water in each sortie to contain the raging fire. The choppers are positioned at Mysuru and according to Ambadi Madhav, field director in charge of Bandipur, they will continue their operations on Tuesday morning.</p>.<p>Even as senior forest officials were camping at Bandipur, fire broke out on the foothills of Chamundi Hills in Mysuru, triggering panic. Timely intervention by the fire brigade personnel prevented the fire from spreading to the entire hillock.</p>.<p>Similarly, forest fires were reported from Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary where about 18 acres of forest were reduced to ash. Two incidents of forest fire were also reported from Koratagere and Chikkanayakanahalli of Tumakuru district where hundreds of acres of forests were gutted. Wildfires were also noticed across 30 acres of Kappatagudda damaging precious medicinal plants.</p>.<p>Bengaluru, which reported a major fire at the Aero India parking lot, witnessed several incidents of wildfire. Prominent forest areas like Turahalli, Jarakabande Kaval, Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) and Nandi Hills too reported forest fires.</p>.<p>Prashanth S, DCF, BNP said that for over a week, stray cases of forest fire were reported but were contained successfully.</p>.<p>The Forest Survey of India (FSI), which had listed potential fire spots across the country, had alerted the state forest department about possible wildfires. As many as 1,344 fire alerts were issued to the state by FSI in February alone, out of which 197 were in Bandipur Tiger Reserve alone between February 22 and 24.</p>.<p>FSI officials told DH that the forest department did not take their alerts seriously. “In the last seven days, the highest number of fire alerts 2,767 were passed on to the Karnataka government,” the official clarified.<br /> </p>
<p>The Karnataka Forest Department, which has been struggling to contain the spread of the wildfire in Bandipur Tiger Reserve for over four days, faced more trouble on Monday as forest fires were reported from several parts of the state, reducing pristine forests to ash.</p>.<p>Even as the department was grappling in the dark to check the raging fire, it received a shot in the arm with the state government sending out an SOS to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to deploy choppers to douse the fire.</p>.<p>For the first time in Karnataka and the second time in South India, IAF choppers rushed to put out the fire following a request by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy who apprised IAF officials on Monday morning after personally reviewing the situation in Bandipur with his officials. The IAF deployed two Mi-17 V5 choppers towards the end of the day. The IAF had assisted Andhra Pradesh in 2014 to douse the fire across Tirumala hills.</p>.<p>Lifting water from the nearby Hirekere near Berambadi tanks, the choppers with ‘Bambi buckets’ sprayed water over Karadikal Betta and Chamana Halla region within the Gopalaswamy Betta Range of the Tiger Reserve. Carrying out nine sorties till late in the evening, the choppers sprayed about two tonnes of water in each sortie to contain the raging fire. The choppers are positioned at Mysuru and according to Ambadi Madhav, field director in charge of Bandipur, they will continue their operations on Tuesday morning.</p>.<p>Even as senior forest officials were camping at Bandipur, fire broke out on the foothills of Chamundi Hills in Mysuru, triggering panic. Timely intervention by the fire brigade personnel prevented the fire from spreading to the entire hillock.</p>.<p>Similarly, forest fires were reported from Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary where about 18 acres of forest were reduced to ash. Two incidents of forest fire were also reported from Koratagere and Chikkanayakanahalli of Tumakuru district where hundreds of acres of forests were gutted. Wildfires were also noticed across 30 acres of Kappatagudda damaging precious medicinal plants.</p>.<p>Bengaluru, which reported a major fire at the Aero India parking lot, witnessed several incidents of wildfire. Prominent forest areas like Turahalli, Jarakabande Kaval, Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) and Nandi Hills too reported forest fires.</p>.<p>Prashanth S, DCF, BNP said that for over a week, stray cases of forest fire were reported but were contained successfully.</p>.<p>The Forest Survey of India (FSI), which had listed potential fire spots across the country, had alerted the state forest department about possible wildfires. As many as 1,344 fire alerts were issued to the state by FSI in February alone, out of which 197 were in Bandipur Tiger Reserve alone between February 22 and 24.</p>.<p>FSI officials told DH that the forest department did not take their alerts seriously. “In the last seven days, the highest number of fire alerts 2,767 were passed on to the Karnataka government,” the official clarified.<br /> </p>
