Fire lines to protect Shola forest

Forest Department officials initiated the move to prevent spread of wildfire

Several Shola Forests were destroyed in the district due to wildfire. The Forest Department is striving to prevent the wildfire by creating fire lines. The grass on the hills of Western Ghats dries during summer.

Every year the accidental fire, which catches the grass, spreads to the shola forests. Most of the shola forests at Kudremukh, Mullayyanagiri, Charmadi Ghat, Kemmannugundi and other regions in Western Ghats in the district have been destroyed because of the wildfire.
Both flora and fauna were destroyed completely in the wildfire that broke at Bhadra reserve forest in 2004.

The Forest Department is creating fire lines to protect Shola forests in the district for the last three years. Officials led by DFO Venkatesh start the work of creating fire lines in Mullayyanagiri, Kavikalgandi, Dattatreya Peeta, Attigundi, Manikyadara, Honnammana Halli, Kudremukh, Charmadi Ghat and other regions during summer.

The fire lines are created by the Forest Department officials by burning the dried grass, which surrounds the Shola Forests. The advantage of fire lines is that the accidental fire will not spread to the Shola Forests as there will be a gap in the contiguous grass.

Shola forests

Trees of same species can be seen in Shola Forests, which is the speciality of Western Ghats. Shola Forests covers the entire region thickly that the trees will not allow the sunlight to filter through it.

Shola forests remain green throughout the year and provides shelter for thousands of living creatures.

Shola Forest maintains the water table of the Western Ghats and provides drinking water to the tribals who live in the forest.