Summary:
Chikkamagaluru: Officials of the forest department in Chikkamagaluru on Wednesday arrested two cowherds , who allegedly started a fire in Bendihatti Forest on March 14. Authorities estimate that around 20 hecatres of forest land was lost to the blaze.Chikkamagaluru range forest officer (RFO) Shilpa SL told TOI that they had arrested Krishnamurthy and Iragaiah, both of whom are in their mid-40s. “Both of them are residents of Bikanahalli in Chikkamagaluru,” said Shilpa.The RFO said that residents were setting fire to forests acting on some superstitious belief. Shilpa pointed out that elephants were venturing out of the forest, and incidents of trampling had been reported recently. “Other than elephants, all wild animals are venturing out of the woods,” the RFO said.The forest department officials have, in the meanwhile, launched a hunt for a miscreant who tried to light a fire at the Mullayanagiri Forest Range on Tuesday..