Trees charring near Ooty jungles triggers panic

Ooty: Smoke from the sub-soil surface and simultaneous charring and uprooting of trees in the forests in the Neethimund area near here has scared residents.

The same phenomenon occurred in the same area a few months ago. Residents feel that it may lead to some undesirable happening like landslides in the future.  However, ecologists opine that it is a rare kind of natural phenomenon that people need not panic about.  M. Kumaravel, field officer of the CPR Environmental Education Centre here, said that the Neethimund forest was originally grassland with swamps along its slopes.

“The methane gas trapped deep inside the sub-soil surface there due to the decomposition of withered leaves may try to emanate through the weak soil surface that leads to emission of methane as smoke.  When this methane comes in contact with oxygen in the surface it burns, and that is why trees and other ground level flora are charring. 

The area is now full of eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus leaves which are full of oil have fallen on the ground, adding to extra burning of the flora around,” Mr.Kumaravel explained.

People in villages around said that since the Neethimund area ecology seems to have changed, the Forest department should arrange for a detailed investigation in a scientific way to find a solution to this problem.