Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Apr 25: A huge pile of Khus roots (Lamancha) heaped in the agricultural field located behind a house on Kaveri Marga on Bankeshwar Road, Byndoor in the taluk, caught fire on Thursday April 24. The roots, which are aromatic and have medicinal and cosmetic value besides acting as cooling agent in the form of dry roots, powder, oil etc, have high demand and command good price.
The Khus roots destroyed belonged to B M Nagaraja Ganiga. After growing Khus grass at various places including Heranjalu near here, he had uprooted this grass and collected about 10.5 tonnes of the roots in a field located behind a house belonging to his relative, Chikkamma Ranganath. On Friday, a Khus dealer from Kerala was expected to come to the spot and collect the roots. ‘This is high quality root used for extracting oil or making artifacts. It commands a price of about Rs 300 per kg. I have suffered a loss about Rs 30 lac in this incident,’ Ganiga said.
Ganiga’s relative, Chikkamma, and Risal, a timber merchant functioning nearby, saw smoke emanating from the bottom of the pile, and immediately alerted the locals. Efforts made by the people to extinguish the fire by pouring water proved futile. By the time fire brigade from Bhatkal arrived, the entire heap had turned into a pile of ash. Reportedly, dousing flames arising out of Khus plants is a formidable task because of the oil content.
Nagaraja Ganiga told the reporters that he suspects handiwork of miscreants in the incident, as there was no chance for the pile catching fire on its own. MLA, K Goal Poojary, block Congress president, K Ramesh Ganiga, policemen, and revenue department officials visited the spot and conducted inspection.