Kodaikanal town enveloped in smoke as fire rages in nearby City View area

MADURAI: A fire that broke out in bushes in Kodaikanal City View area on Tuesday continued to rage on Wednesday even as forest and fire department personnel were battling to put it out. Kodaikanal town was enveloped in smoke on Wednesday afternoon.
Officials said the exact cause of the fire was not known. The hill station faces frequent fires during summer. More than spontaneous fires, man-made fire incidents are frequent since the tourist activities like campfires add up to it. At the onset of summer, the RDO conducted a meeting calling all the stakeholders to be cautious.
Farmers have complained that the frequent fires were destroying their crops and they have to shell out additional money to protect their crops.
Jhansi Rani, a farmer in Aiyarkinaru area, said they were buying water in tankers to fight the fire. “We are staying awake at nights to prevent the fire spreading into farmlands. But the fire spreads when there is wind. We are living in fear.”
The Kodaikanal revenue divisional office has called for a meeting to discuss precautionary measures. “We are going to take stringent legal against on anyone causing fire in the wilderness. Even the farmers intending to set any wanted buses in their farms have to inform the fire department and get their permission, failing which will invite severe action,” RDO Raja said.