Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Jan 2: After fire erupted in a cashew plantation at Movady near national highway 66 near Trasi village in the taluk on Monday January 1, hundreds of cashew plants and trees suffered extensive damage.

Fire was sighted near the cashew plantation opposite Gangolli police station by the side of national highway. Within minutes, fire began to spread to neighbouring areas. Strong breeze spread the fire further. Due to dry weeds and plants standing in the area, fire acquired enormous proportions.

As soon as they came to know about the incident, social activists from Gangolli nearby got involved with the work of dousing the fire. Fire brigade personnel from the town also reached there in a short while thereafter, and after an effort lasting over an hour, succeeded in bringing the fire under control.

Major loss in this incident was on account of parched cashew plants in the cashew plantation. Trees and other vegetation standing in an adjacent private land also were damaged. Actual reason for the fire to spread could not be ascertained immediately. It is suspected that the fire would either have been caused by short circuit in the electric pole standing in the middle of the cashew plantation, or it would have been started by miscreants who would have put some dry leaves on fire.

Taluk panchayat executive officer, Kiran Fadnekar, Trasi gram panchayat president, Venkat Poojary, Trasi gram panchayat in-charge panchayat development officer, Dinesh Sherugar, and officials of Karnataka Cashew Development Corporation visited the spot and assessed the damage.