Forest department initiates probe into fire in reserve forest atop Arunachala Hills

The Forest Department on Saturday initiated an inquiry into a fire that destroyed more than one acre of forest land in the Adi Annamalai Reserve Forest (RF) atop Arunachala Hills in Tiruvannamalai. 

Forest officials said that devotees, who were walking on the 14 km Girivalam path around the seventh century temple, saw the fire in the RF near the foothills. Immediately, they alerted the police, who in turn informed the local forest officials as a major portion of the hillock comes under the Forest Department. 

After more than three hours of hard labour, forest officials and fire fighters managed to douse the fire. More than one acre of forest land was gutted in the incident. The hills are home for spotted deer, sloth bear, peacocks, monkeys and Indian gaur.

“Some trespassers would have set fire to the thick bushes in the hills. Surveillance on identified 22 entry spots around the hills have been increased,” K. Murugan, forest range officer (Tiruvannamalai town), told The Hindu. 

Forest officials said that climbing the hills is banned except on the annual Maha Deepam day when special passes are issued by the District Collector as part of Karthigai Deepam festival. However, some people, mainly tourists, sneak into the forest areas in the hills despite the ban.