Bhopal/ New Delhi: Two days after a massive forest fire broke out at the Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, efforts are still on to put out the blaze, according to locals, NDTV reported.
Spread across an area of over 100 square km, Bandhavgarh is one of the most popular national parks in India in the Vindhya Hills of the Umaria district, about 470 km from state capital Bhopal; it is known for Royal Bengal tigers.
The fire is believed to have spread to several zones including one of the three major zones- Magdi. Frightening visuals showed trees engulfed in blaze and vast expanse of grasslands covered in plumes of smoke, according to NDTV.
Inadequate resources are believed to one of the reasons, sources said, that it's taking so long to douse the forest fire. Locals have said the authorities did not take timely action when the blaze broke out.
At Bandhavgarh, visited by a large number of tourists annually, Magdi Zone is often under the focus of the park authorities to provide "more opportunity to spot tigers," according to the official website.
"Elephant shows are also organized in Magdi zone of the Bandhavgarh national park to increase the chances of spotting the elusive king of the jungle," it says. "Over the years, the park has shown a great number of increases in the count of the tiger species and this is the reason why tiger tours is so famed to attract large amount of tourists at its vicinity," it further stresses.
On social media, several users shared pictures and videos to urge authorities to take quick action.
