BHUBANESWAR: As Odisha intensifies measures to fight wildfire in the ongoing season, the Reliance Foundation has joined hands with the forest department, Vana Suraksha Samities (VSS) and other stakeholders to effectively help state government tackle the menace.
The Foundation has collaborated with the state forest, environment and climate change department, community cadres, VSS and NGO partners to create awareness and capacity building of people for prevention and effective handling of wildfire crisis in forest areas.
A three-month long awareness campaign has been initiated by the Foundation from the World Wildlife Day on March 8, which will end on World Environment Day on June 5.
The Reliance Foundation, in association with the forest department and NGO is also engaging community cadres through field-level activities and holding a series of multi-location audio conferences on forest fire mitigation awareness, focusing on major forest fire vulnerable areas, different preparedness, response, and mitigation strategy for forest fire management.
Advisories in vernacular language are also being disseminated in the districts of Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, Kandhamal and Kalahandi, officials of the Foundation said.
As per the statistics of the forest department, over 19,000 fire points have been recorded inside forest boundaries of the state between January 1 and April 25 in current forest fire season.