Water-bombing IAF choppers help contain fire in Bandipur Tiger Reserve
Bengaluru, Feb 26: With Indian Air Force helicopters dumping gallons of water and firefighters toiling hard, the raging forest fire that burnt thousands of acres in Bandipur Tiger reserve has been brought under "total control", the forest department said Tuesday.
"The fire is under total control. It is not even on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border," principal chief conservator of forest C Jayaram (wildlife) said.
The success could be achieved with the help of the Indian Air Force, which deployed two helicopters that ferried several gallons of water from a nearby reservoir to douse the raging flames.
State Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Punati Sridhar also said the blaze has been brought under total control.
"The wind was quite calm and the IAF choppers too contributed in controlling the fire.
Our foresters and volunteers too toiled hard to control the fire.. The damage to the wildlife is zero as they all had moved to greener pasture.
Most of the trees are intact. Mostly the grass (on large swathes) were burnt," said Sridhar.
However, the department would be vigilant for at least a week as the fire could be smouldering in some areas, the officer added.
The forest department has started a probe to find what caused the fire, extent of damage and measures to breathe life into the huge tract of land bereft of its greenery.
The blaze was first spotted about a week ago and since then efforts were on to contain it.
With the fire raging, the state government sought the help of the Indian Air Force on Monday which started its operation on a war footing.
The forest department suspects it to be an act of sabotage.
To compound the problem, five to six feet tall dry grass had come up on large swathes which helped the flames spread, according to officials.
Forest officials and fire service personnel along with hundreds of volunteers made a vain bid to douse the blaze over the past few days.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
In biggest haul, drugs worth Rs 51 cr seized in Meghalaya, 2 held
Shillong (PTI): The Meghalaya Police seized drugs worth over Rs 51 crore, the biggest haul of narcotics in the state so far, in East Jaintia Hills district and arrested two Mizoram-based persons in this connection, a senior officer said on Saturday.
The seizure was made during a coordinated naka-checking conducted by the police and Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) personnel in the Ratacherra area on Friday, he said.
During the operation, a vehicle with three persons, including the driver, on board was intercepted and searched in accordance with due legal procedures.
ALSO READ: Veteran journalist Narayan Bareth passes away
Upon checking, 19 plastic soap cases, containing suspected heroin weighing 203.7 grams, were recovered from the possession of one of the three persons, the officer said.
The search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a blue-coloured trolley bag belonging to another occupant of the vehicle.
Suspected crystal meth (methamphetamine) tablets weighing 10.145 kilograms were found in the bag, the police officer said.
'Meth' tablets are banned in India.
Two of the three occupants of the vehicle were arrested, and a preliminary investigation suggested that they are part of an interstate and cross-border drug trafficking syndicate, the officer said.
"The total value of the seized contraband is estimated to be around Rs 51.13 crore", ANTF chief Vikash Kumar told PTI.
The arrested persons hail from Mizoram, he said.
A case has been registered at the ANTF police station, and an investigation is underway to establish the forward and backward linkages related to the seizure, the officer added.
