Forest fire: Government feels the heat, Siddaramaiah orders CID probe

BENGALURU: Irked by frequent blazes in Bandipur, Kodagu and Kappattagudda forests, and allegations of vested interests setting fire in Kappattagudda, Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, on Monday ordered a CID inquiry into infernos which devastated vegetation spread over hundreds of acres in these forests.

Minister for forests and ecology, Ramanath Rai, told the media after a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister that the leader was upset with forest officers for their lackadaisical attitude in tackling these blazes. “The CM has sought a detailed report from officials in whose range these incidents were reported. Besides, the Chief Minister also sought another report on contingency plans to prevent such fires in future. Both these reports will probably be submitted in a week's time,” the minister added.

Mr Rai said the Chief Minister also directed the officials concerned to train tribal people and those living in fringe areas of the forest to douse the fire. "These incidents have certainly opened our eyes to the fact that we need to train people living in forest areas on fire-fighting techniques. The state government is also mulling setting up fire stations on the periphery of forests in order to avoid such mishaps,” he added.

Meanwhile, sources in the Chief Minister’s Office disclosed that Mr Siddaramaiah was upset with certain forest officers, who despite a spate of forest fires, did not visit these areas. Therefore, he directed them to inspect these sites immediately. "He has also directed officers in-charge to maintain a log book to keep track of which officer went to these sites as these log books will help track the movement of officers in future,” sources added.