Major fire breaks out in Bandipur national park: More than 15K acre forest land gutted
Chamarajnagar, Feb 23: A major fire has broken out in the Bandipur National Tiger Reserve park on Thursday, causing thousands of acres of forest area have been destroyed.
The fire broke out in some parts around a week ago and now, it has spread to Bandipur national park propelled by strong wind. Forest department officials who lodged a complaint at police station urged them to arrest the miscreants who set fire in the forest.
The Bandipur national park has become one among the best tourist destinations in the world. The fire first broke out at Kundakere near Bandipur three days ago and some portion of the forest was destroyed. But on Friday, the fire spread to Kundakere, Lokkere, Chikkelachatti, Kalli Gowdanahalli, Shivapura, Gopalaswamy Betta and other places in spite of the efforts of the firefighters and locals to douse the fire. As a result, it is said that more than 15,000 acres of forest was destroyed.
With the help of strong wind, the fire covered the entire Bandipur on Saturday. As it is summer, most of the parts of the forest has become dry and the fire has devastated everything on its way though the firefighters, staff and locals tried their level best to control it.
Two years ago, the region got fire and thousands of acres of forest area in Kalkere forest range in Bandipur was destroyed. Moreover, forest guard Murugappa Thammanagol was burnt alive in the fire. Many forest department staff who had been to douse the fire were injured and hundreds of wild animals and birds were also died.
Vehicular movement disturbed
As the Bandipur forest suffered major fire, the vehicular movement on Ooty-Mysuru road was disturbed. Due to thick smoke emanated from the fire, tourists are returning back.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
