MANGALURU: Call it a sign of the early summer crawling in or the callousness of smokers, grass is often on fire in Mangaluru city. A variety of weed commonly found in the city has become a fire hazard, keeping the fire brigade on their toes.
“We have been getting at least 10 calls daily for a week about ground fire from all over the city, particularly on highways and beach-side villages,” regional fire officer H S Varadarajan told Express.
“The City Corporation or the village panchayats could cut the weed before it dries up. I have heard that this weed makes good cattle fodder, but neither the panchayat nor the corporation heeds to our requests. The fire is started by careless smokers who throw live cigarettes into thickets,” he said and added that the fire can become lethal if it is near petrol bunks. The weed is a type of tall grass that started growing in the district just two years ago and was first found along the National Highway-66. Botanists say the seeds of this grass must have dropped from trucks carrying foodgrains from the port to other districts. But soon, it spread all over the city.
Mayor Mahabala Marla said the corporation officials have tried cutting the weed, but even an army of workers is not enough to completely clear it.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/Firemen-on-their-Toes-With-Weed-Blazes/2015/01/13/article2617592.ece
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/Firemen-on-their-Toes-With-Weed-Blazes/2015/01/13/article2617592.ece
