Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Ablaze Since 29 March

Screenshot of the fire that broke out in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve on Monday, 29 March.

Photo: The Quint

Two days after a huge forest fire broke out at the Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, efforts to put out the blaze are underway. Reports of the fire have also been confirmed by the management.

Known for its Royal Bengal Trigers, Bandhavgarh is an expanse of over 100 square km and one of the most popular national parks in India in the Vindhya Hills, several hundreds of kilometres from Bhopal.

Visuals of the fire show trees engulfed in flames and expanses of grasslands covered in thick smoke. The fire has spread to several zones of the reserve, including Khitoli, Magadhi and Tala.

Inadequate resources are one of the reasons that it's taking long to manage the forest fire, NDTV reported, quoting sources.

Locals also reportedly said that authorities did not take timely action when the fire first broke out on Monday. Field Director Rahim and other officials not only failed to make necessary arrangements for fire fighting prior to the summer season, but did not undertake timely effort, sources told The Quint.

Instances of fires inside the forests are common in the summer. However, this blaze has taken a serious turn, as reports of several areas being affected have come to light.

This is the second tiger reserve where a forest fire has raised concern among environmentalists and conservationists.

Earlier this month, Odisha's Similipal Reserve witnessed a similar incident.

(With inputs from NDTV)