Ranganathittu bird sanctuary closed as over hundred trees fall

Mandya: Heavy rain with thunderstorm lashed various parts of Sri Rangapatna taluk for the past two days, forcing forest officers to close Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary for two days, on Saturday and Sunday.

The bird sanctuary which attracts thousands of tourists during weekends was the worst hit as over 100 trees have got uprooted forcing the authorities to shut it down. RFO Santosh Hoogar said that fully grown trees at the entrance to the sanctuary and inside got uprooted due to the last night's rain. As a result, the entry gate, ticket counter, museum and gopura at the entrance have been damaged.

In the post-Covid times, the sanctuary is gradually attracting more number of visitors, especially during weekends. But now the strong winds have caused an unexpected damage and the sanctuary may lose about Rs 10 lakh in revenue due to the temporary shutdown," he said adding that the closure may be extended by a day if found absolutely necessary.

This apart, a good number of roadside trees on either side of more than a kilometre stretch of the road leading from Paschimavahini to Ranganathittu too have got uprooted, disrupting vehicular movement on the road to the popular tourist destination.

Revenue authorities said more than 100 coconut, arecanut, mango and other trees and fully grown crops have been destroyed. Three houses in Palahalli have suffered partial damage. They said that a detailed report will be submitted to the higher authorities on the extent of damage to crops and other properties.

The Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company (CESC) has incurred loss worth lakhs of rupees as more than 60 electricity poles have fallen and more than a dozen transformers have been destroyed.