Grass over land across Nandi Hills destroyed by fire

Chikkaballapura: Grass on more than hundred acres of land over Nandi Hills was totally destroyed in a fire accident on Thursday. The fire was spotted at Angatta town around 1 pm. It was generally doused by 7.30 pm following a seven hour operation by a group of 25 authorities from the forest department.

Vikram Reddy, range forest officer told the media persons “The fire didn’t damage any trees, birds and animals, but destroyed the grass and nests of birds,”

Reason behind the fire is yet to be discovered. In any case, the forest department officials suspect the involvement of neighbourhood villagers as there was a conviction that burning of grass on dry land would grow fresh blades of grasses. The authorities said cigarette buds tossed by travellers on the grass could have set off the fire.

As indicated by the forest officials, however blazes were spotted on the slope, circumstance was particularly under control. “We’ve drenched the fire totally on the ground. However, flares were spotted on the slope. Our group is monitoring the circumstance”, he said and included: “Forest Department authorities are yet to find out the degree of area gutted on fire.”

The Forest office has looked for local resident’s participation in recognizing nearby occupants burning the grass. In March 2017, the landscape towards the street was on fire for two days. Forest and agriculture department officials had an intense time in dousing the blazes.