21.3.14

Tirumala Forest inferno tamed




The unprecedented inferno in the Seshachalam biosphere was brought under control through ground and aerial fire-fighting measures involving two MI-17 V5 helicopters, dozens of fire engines and over 1,000 personnel drawn from police, fire services, armed forces and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
Air-based fire-fighting operations are likely to continue on Friday. This is the second time ever that helicopters have been used in the country to fight forest fires. Last month, MI-17 V5 copters were used to douse flames in the jungles around Mt Japfu in Nagaland.
A well-coordinated effort by several government departments brought the flames under control. The fire, allegedly triggered by red sanders smugglers on Wednesday, threatened the Seshachalam ranges, where the famous shrine of Lord Sri Venkateswara is located. Officials, however, heaved a sigh of relief as the fire threat began to recede by Thursday noon. A probe will be conducted into the cause of the forest fire.
As a precautionary measure, the TTD closed pedestrian pathways to Tirumala besides the road link to Papavinasanam. Army and Indian Air Force worked together to prevent spread of the fire. The IAF conducted continuous aerial recce to ascertain the extent of damage and spread of fire.
Following the recce, two MI-17 V5 helicopters with Bambi buckets with a capacity of 4,000 litres of water each tried to douse the fire. The helicopters carried out four sorties to extinguish the fire. They drew water from Kumaradhara and Pasupudhara projects. 

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