Fringe villages of Similipal in Odisha to get blowers to fight forest fire

The ongoing outreach programme will also be intensified to increase involvement of community in addressing problems pertaining to the tiger reserve.
Image of a wildfire used for representational purpose (File Photo | EPS)
Image of a wildfire used for representational purpose (File Photo | EPS)

BHUBANESWAR: With the summer poised to be harsher, the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) management has decided to provide blowers to vulnerable villages in fringe areas this year for creation of fire lines and deal with forest fire more effectively.

The community outreach drive will be intensified to tackle incidents of wildfire that usually peak during summer, especially between March and May.  Moreover, the tiger reserve will adopt controlled burning to facilitate collection of Mahua flowers from March.

PCCF (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden SK Popli who visited Similipal to take stock of preparedness ahead of the current fire season said adequate staff have been engaged and provision of blowers made to create fire lines and check incidents of forest fire in the protected area.

The ongoing outreach programme will also be intensified to increase involvement of community in addressing problems pertaining to the tiger reserve. Provision of two vehicles installed with LED screens has been made for the purpose.  

STR field director and Baripada RCCF T Ashok Kumar said the division has deployed 235 fire squad members and kept 745 blowers as a preparatory measure against forest fire.

Basing on incidents of forest fires reported in 2021, the Forest department has identified four zones - Pithabata, Udala-Kaptipada, Kendumundi and Bisoi - whose villages share boundary with Similipal in the buffer zone.  

“As forest fire usually spreads from these buffer areas due to various activities, the DFOs in the circle have been asked to identify villagers in the buffer zones where the blowers could be placed with the villagers so that they can create fire lines on their own and assist the forest staff in preventing wildfire from spreading,” Kumar said.

He said the department has planned to provide two blowers to each of the identified villages. The forest staff will carry out controlled burning this year to check incidents of forest fire during collection of Mahua flower by villagers in the buffer area. The sensitisation drive through LEDs will start within a week, he added.

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