MULUGU: An 185-member Forest department team is currently assessing the damage to trees in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, following a severe weather event on August 31.
The storm, which flattened an estimated 100,000 trees, including some rare species, has prompted an extensive effort to evaluate the impact and determine the cause of the incident. The team is using drones to survey the affected areas, spanning from Medaram to Pasara and Medaram to Tadvai within Tadvai mandal.
Mulugu District Forest Officer Rahul Jadhav Yadav informed TNIE, “We have deployed staff from the nine ranges in Mulugu to document the damage. Each damaged tree is being marked with paint. We estimate it will take seven to eight days to complete this enumeration and determine the exact number of affected trees.”
Yadav noted that a Central team recently visited the Forest department office in Hyderabad to review the damage. The officials received a presentation on the situation in Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary.
“Following their inquiry, we identified the cause of the unusual weather event. In accordance with the higher officials’ directives, our staff is working diligently to catalog the damaged trees, measure them, and mark them with paint,” Yadav added.