Tornado-like Storm Ravages Medaram Forest, Over 1 Lakh Trees Uprooted
A view of the destroyed trees in the Medaram forest following a tornado-like storm
Hyderabad: In a shocking turn of events, over one lakh trees were uprooted across vast stretches of the Medaram forest, causing extensive damage in around 500 acres in Mulugu district.
This is the first time such a large-scale destruction of trees, resembling a tornado's wrath, has been witnessed in the area. The incident, which has affected thousands of acres, is now under investigation by the Forest department.
Officials were left astounded as they surveyed the damage, noting that trees had been toppled over an area spanning approximately 5 kilometers. The extent of the damage has been so severe that drones are being deployed to assess the full impact. Forest authorities have stated that they have never encountered such a catastrophic event before.
Minister Seethakka, upon hearing about the destruction of trees over 500 acres in Medaram, promptly initiated inquiries. She communicated with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) via telephone from the State Secretariat.
Just two days prior, the Minister personally visited the affected area and expressed her astonishment at the scale of the destruction.
During her visit, Seethakka commented on the rare and devastating storm that swept through the Mulugu forests, leading to the extensive damage across hundreds of acres.
She ordered a thorough investigation into the incident and instructed officials to use drone cameras to estimate the losses accurately. The Minister also noted that, fortunately, there were no casualties, as the storm was confined to the forest. However, she warned that if the storm had struck nearby villages, the devastation could have been far worse.
Seethakka attributed the safety of the villages to the blessings of Samakka and Saralamma, the revered deities of the region. She urged Union Ministers Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to take special measures in response to the incident.
The Minister also called for an investigation by central authorities to identify the cause of the disaster and requested the Union government to provide financial assistance to support the reforestation of the affected area.
