Forest officials suspect move to set forest on fire

Kozhikode: As tension prevails in Meppadi, Wayanad, over the death of an estate worker, Arumughan, in an elephant attack on Thursday night, the forest department authorities suspect there is a move by some locals to set the forest on fire. Officials have learnt that some irated residents are threatening to set the forest on fire, despite the fact that the area where the accident happened is an age-old passage of wild elephants.
An official in Wayanad admitted unconfirmed reports of such threats. "However, there is no intelligence report on the threat by some people. But we are wary of the situation," the official said.
The warning raises concern as a fire, allegedly set by some locals in Bandipur National Park, Karnataka, around six years ago, engulfed huge tracts of forest land and wildlife. .