BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has lost a whopping over 15,000-hectare forest cover due to wildfire in the last 15 months. Of the total, around 45 per cent have been destroyed in the last two and half months. The statistics furnished by Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Pradip Kumar Amat in response to a question from Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia in the Assembly on Tuesday revealed that a total 15,520-hectare forest area has been destroyed in wildfire between 2022 and 2023 so far.
The minister said a total 8,450-hectare forest cover was affected in wildfire in 2022, while another 7,070-hectare forest area was damaged in the ongoing fire season of 2023 till March 17. The matter raises concern, as the forest area gutted in the state in the two fire seasons so far, is nearly 15 times more compared to what Odisha used to report a decade back. The state had reported loss of forests over 960 hectare area in 2012 and 162 hectare in 2013. However, the gradual rise in fire incidents over the past decade has emerged as a major threat to state’s forest and wildlife. Odisha has already recorded around 24,000 forest fire incidents in the current fire season so far.
The minister informed the House that adequate measures are being taken to prevent forest fire and increase green cover. Apart from engaging fire fighting squads and providing fire blowers, Amat said fire line of 32,662 km has been created in forests this year. In Similipal Tiger Reserve, fire line of more than 6,400 km has been created while 93 locals have been engaged to assist in dousing flames in the current fire season, he said.
The minister said in 2022-23 the government carried out afforestation work in 9,032-hectare area, while reviving tree cover in another 76,081-hectare area. The roadside plantation was also carried out in 4,007 km stretch, while around 1.95 crore saplings were distributed among public to improve the green cover, he said.
Green cover loss
7,070 ha in 2023 so far
8,450 ha in 2022
960 ha in 2012, 162 ha in 2013