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Tribune News Service
Solan, May 5
Forest fire caused disruption in the electricity supply for more than an hour last evening in the Kasauli-Dharampur-Dagshai areas as a tree which was uprooted due to forest fire fell on an electricity line near Panch Parmeshwar Temple near Solan last evening.
Since the accident disrupted a crucial link in supplying power to the Dharampur area the area remained plunged in darkness for over an hour.
A similar incident happened today with a tree giving way near Dharampur owing to forest fire, forcing the staff of the Power Department to rush to the spot for immediate repair work. Though supply was restored after some time rising cases forest fire hitting power supply have become a cause of concern for the officials of the Power Department.
Divisional Forest Officer, Solan, Division, Ashok Chauhan, said about 400 hectares forest land had suffered damage due to ground fire though a spell of rain today at Solan and its surrounding areas has brought the much-needed respite from the rising cases of fires.
Since no rain was received in Kasauli and its surrounding areas the forest staff continued to be in a state of alert to deal with such cases. With scarcity of fire tenders, which concentrated on saving habitations and public property, villagers were left to fend for themselves in case a fire occurred in forests near the villages.
With the dry spell continuing in the Kasauli area the threat of forest fires continued to loom. The forest staff was directed to clear fire lines of inflammable pine needles which lay scattered on the forest floor in this season. Howefer, even after being cleared the forest was again strewn with such needles within 15 days, confided Chauhan.