Worst-ever wildfire on Tirumala hills
TIRUMALA: The wildfire on Tirumala Hills assumed alarming proportions Wednesday forcing the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and the district administration to seek the help of defence services.
Two MI-17s will be pressed into service Thursday morning to douse the fire that has reportedly engulfed thousands of hectares in the forest area. The TTD and firefighters were joined by personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, the Greyhounds and the elite anti-terror unit, Octopus.
But the sheer intensity of the wildfire proved too much for them ' the forces battled the fire with water tankers and traditional fire fighting equipment, exposing the utter unpreparedness of the administration in dealing with something of this magnitude.
As the situation seemed out of control, the TTD authorities briefed Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Secretary and the Defence Ministry too. The Defence Ministry has agreed to rush in two MI-17s which will draw water from the Gogarbham and KP dams to douse the fire.
'These choppers will not, however, fly in the No Fly Zone on Tirumala in accordance with the Agama rules,' TTD Executive Officer MG Gopal clarified.
The reports of fire and the sight of billowing smoke in the sky sent pilgrims into a tizzy. However, the TTD assured the devotees there's no threat to Tirumala and they could go ahead with their darshan plans. Helicopters conducted an aerial survey of the Seshachalam ranges on Wednesday. The flames engulfed wind mills on the hills near Papavinasanam.
Firefighters, including senior TTD officials, got trapped in the area for about half-an-hour. Luckily, they were able to come out safely. What made matters difficult for the firefighting personnel was the task of taking water tankers and fire tenders into the forest area. Papavinasam was made off limits for the visiting pilgrims.
The TTD has asked the forest department to ensure that animals do not stray into habitations due to the fire.
News Posted: 20 March, 2014
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