Mysuru: A massive amount of forest has been destroyed due to a fire that broke out in the forest area of the historic Sri Siddalu Mallikarjuna Swamy Hill at Bettadapura in the Taluk for the past few days.
The historic 3,200-foot hill has many ancient temples of deities, including Sri Siddalu Mallikarjuna Swamy, and lakhs of devotees from all corners of the State climb the hill and offer prayers during the Siddalu Mallikarjuna Swamy Rathotsava, which is held in the month of February and March, including Deepavali. But it is sad that some miscreants have set the hill on fire.
It has been alleged that farmers in the forest areas at the foot of the hill are getting green grass fodder for cattle and destroying the forest by setting them on fire with the aim of preventing the menace of wild animals including leopards, near the bushes. Meanwhile, hundreds of acres of forest have already been destroyed even as forest department officials and staff, including RFO Kiran Kumar, worked to douse the fire.
Some teachers of DTMN Educational Institute, Bettadapura, climbed the hill and tried to douse the fire, but were unable to douse the fire, said Zarina Khanam, the Headmaster of the institute.
