Forest fires rage in Odisha

At a time when raging forest hearth in Similipal Biosphere in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district continued to trigger concern amongst wildlife activists, massive forest tracts have been discovered affected by hearth in different components of the State.

Of the 886 massive fires detected throughout totally different forests in India on Friday, Odisha is main the desk with 233 forest fires. Tenangana and Madhya Pradesh adopted Odisha with 126 and 107 incidences of forest fires.

Meanwhile,the State authorities has saved extra firefighters on standby to douse the fireplace in Similipal.Wildlife activists have been elevating alarm over unfold of wildfire in Similipal. “The situation in Similipal is under complete control of the administration. It has never gone out of control. Like every year, fire points have emerged this year. There is nothing unusual about it. We are attending fire points as soon as we are intimated,” stated Sashi Paul, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) on Friday.

The most affected areas in Similipal had been Podadiha and Thakurmunda, he stated, including that the core areas of Similipal which homes tigers remained unaffected.

The Forest and Environment division, nonetheless, expressed issues that many hearth factors weren’t attended instantly.

“Although Forest Survey of India reported very high incidences of fire during these months, they have not been responded or attended immediately which is a matter of concern. It is seen that about 60% of the reported fire points have only been responded,” stated Lingaraj Ota, Special Secretary in Forest division in a letter to all divisional forest officers.

It is crucial that each one the fireplace factors in the sector are attended to on precedence foundation and forest hearth needs to be extinguished instantly earlier than it’s unfold to adjoining forest areas,” stated Mr. Ota.

Directing DFOs to submit report on variety of hearth factors attended to on each day foundation, the Forest division particular secretary emphasised that the vary officers must make sure that the fireplace factors needs to be attended inside in one hour of reporting and the vary officer ought to submit a certificates each day to DFO.

The DFOs have been requested to make all out efforts for prevention of forest hearth via efficient foot patrolling , surveillance and sensitization of Van Surakshya Samiti members and forest fringe dwellers.