Two cowherds held for setting fire to forest in Chikkamagaluru

Chikkamagaluru: Officials of the forest department in Chikkamagaluru on Wednesday arrested two cowherds, who allegedly started a fire in Bendihatti Forest on March 14. Authorities estimate that around 20 hecatres of forest land was lost to the blaze.
Chikkamagaluru range forest officer (RFO) Shilpa SL told TOI that they had arrested Krishnamurthy and Iragaiah, both of whom are in their mid-40s. “Both of them are residents of Bikanahalli in Chikkamagaluru,” said Shilpa.

The RFO said that residents were setting fire to forests acting on some superstitious belief. “It was some superstition that motivated both Krishnamurthy and Iragaiah to light a fire in the forest. Despite the department launching a series of awareness programmes, some continue to indulge in such acts, which cause a lot of damage to the forest,” said Shilpa, adding that the duo had been remanded to judicial custody.

She, however, was quick to add that increased incidence of human-wildlife conflict was another reason why forest fires were on the rise in the district. Shilpa pointed out that elephants were venturing out of the forest, and incidents of trampling had been reported recently. “Other than elephants, all wild animals are venturing out of the woods,” the RFO said.

The forest department officials have, in the meanwhile, launched a hunt for a miscreant who tried to light a fire at the Mullayanagiri Forest Range on Tuesday.