Nabarangpur: The forest area on the way from Padamjhari to Arjun Pani in Tohara panchayat in Umerkote block of Odisha’s Nabarangur district has been burning since Sunday.
The Forest Department has engaged a special squad to douse the fire, Ranger Debasmita Sahu told media.
According to sources, amid rising temperatures in Odisha, forest fires have already been witnessed in more than 90 places across the state. The Forest Department which is busy dousing the fire, alleges that many such incidents are also due to crop and stubble burning by locals.
“Out of the 1,000 points where the fire was seen, about 40 per cent were due to a fire outside the jungle. The department is responding to all kinds of fires. Fire outside the jungle often engulfs the forest,” Odisha Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Debidutta Biswal told media.
While climate activists and locals allege that awareness is not being created among people about forest fires and the measures they should take to prevent them, the Forest Department has stated that it is creating awareness among people through different mediums.
“We are creating awareness among people living near the forest areas through traditional folk art mediums as well as printed materials like leaflets and signage,” told Biswal to media.
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