Challenge to protect forest fires during summer

Gauribidanur

In the open border region, there is a decline in forest cover. Environmental enthusiasts insist on the necessity of planting trees and nurturing greenery. While there is an effort to conserve the environment through afforestation, as summer approaches, many individuals are engaging in setting fire to hills and forests.

Such incidents are widespread throughout Gauribidanur taluk. Cases of fire have already been reported along the roadsides in urban areas as well as in rural parts. This poses a significant threat to a vast amount of plant and animal life.

The taluk has approximately 8,878 acres of reserved forest and 8,581 acres of deemed forest, totaling 17,459 acres of forested land, including small patches of forest.

Within the taluk, there are several small hills and forest areas, including Emme Hill, Migration Hill, Gedaire Hill, Kurudi Forest, Alakapur Hill, Tondebavi Hill, Narasimha Devara Hill, and Arkund Hill.

The limited forest areas are being set ablaze by graziers, who believe that burning the dry grass will promote new growth. Some miscreants are also consuming alcohol and igniting dry grass, leading to the destruction of invaluable forest resources, small animals, birds, and trees.

Every year, tree planting activities are conducted in the taluk on the occasion of Environment Day, and these saplings are nurtured until summer. However, as the intense heat of summer begins, watering these plants becomes challenging. Fires set to the grass result in the burning of trees, a common occurrence every summer.

In both urban and rural roadside areas, graziers are cutting branches for fodder, which can accidentally touch electric wires, leading to further complications. Amid these challenging conditions, if any trees manage to survive, they too are often set on fire by miscreants during the summer.