Odisha, March 08: Wildfires are among the hottest concerns of the current times and one such is ignited in the forests areas on Odisha. The Similipal Reserve is burning for more than a week now, however, if the Odisha state government’s claims are believed, the forest fire situation has been brought under control now. This national reserve was added to the list of UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserves in May 2009.
The local media reports of the state suggest that it has been 10 or more days since the fire broke out in the tiger reserve that is located in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. A local expressing his grief over the wildfire quoted, “The jungle is burning and we are helpless. Many medicinal plants have been reduced to ashes. Many wildlife species, including endangered and scarce ones, have perished in the wildfire.”
On the other side, as dated March 5, 233 active large forest fire events have been recorded within the Odisha state, the information was bestowed by the Forest Survey of India. Along with this, more than 40 fire event was reported in Karanjia, Rairangpur, Baripasa divisions of the Mayurbhanj district.
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The fire has been continuously spreading from one part of the reserve to another and has destroyed 8 of the 21 ranges of the SImilipal Forest division till now. Some reports also claim that the fire has also been spread in the southern part of the division gutting Khandachira, Anandapur, and Balinal hills that are under Podadiha Forest Range.
As of now, no casualties have been reported related to the forest fires from the affected areas, however, it has destructed the 30 reserve forests within the Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary. The sources said that nearly 1/3rd of the reserve area has already been destroyed by the wildfire.
