Warangal: A joint investigation by officials of the forest and meteorological departments and the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) has been unable to find the reason for the flattening of nearly one lakh trees in the Eturnagaram forests between Thadvai and Pasra in Mulugu district during the heavy rain last month.
It is suspected that a tornado-like system at midnight on August 31uprooted one lakh trees spread over 204.3 hectares in the forest. Forest officials said it was one of a kind event in the state.
Officials used meteorological satellite data to figure out for how long the phenomenon lasted. They are also estimating the strength of the wind by measuring how far the trees were blown away.
An enumeration of the kinds of trees that were uprooted is going on.
Incidentally, officials have not found any dead animal though the forests are home to wildlift.
A report submitted by R.M. Dobriyal, principal chief conservator of forests, placed the disaster to a cloud burst along with winds blowing up to 120 kmph as the reason.
What kind of environmental factors prevailed in the region that caused such a system can be known only after a detailed study by the officials of the NRSA and meteorological departments is completed.
Even though the patch of land where the disaster took place in the forest is fertile, there are no stones or any kinds of hard objects underneath the ground. There is a need to conduct soil tests in the forest region.
Forest officials under the supervision of DFO Rahul Kishan Jadhav are monitoring to prevent local people from entering into the forests.
