The raging fires escalated burning eight of the twenty-one forest ranges in Odisha.\u00a0 The effects of the fire are devastating affecting around 304 species of birds, 164 species of butterflies, 55 species of mammals, 60 species of reptiles, 21 species of amphibians, 38 species of fish, and 94 species of orchids.<\/p>\n
IFS Pradeep Mirase, divisional forest officer of Malkangiri forest division said, \u201cWe had 2,152 fire incidents as reported by Forest Survey of India (FSI), which is an app that informs us about forest fires with its precise geographic locations along with its coordinates. This is done with the help of satellites. The fire affected 900 acres of land.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also said that the impact of such fires is massive and added, \u201cThese fires affect the local biodiversity endemic to the region, and it requires a long time to recover from the damages and loss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Odisha\u2018s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday executed a task force on ‘Forest Fire Management’ in the state under the chairmanship of Sandeep Tripathy, Ex-PCCF and HoFF, Odisha with present PCCF Sashi Paul as its member.<\/p>\n
There have been frequent forest fires triggered by weather conditions, and environmentalists state that humans cause 99% of the fires when people burn bonfires and dry leaves with fires catch the wind, cigarette butts, and bidis on dry grass and leaves can set a blazing fire. \u00a0While the forest fires in this region are not new, the advent of hot dry weather causes an escalation in fires.<\/p>\n
On the other side, there was a strange silence and ignorance about the fires, and many netizens commented, \u201cThe same people who run hashtags for the Australian bush fires and Amazon rain forest fires forget to stand with those who are our own!\u201d\u00a0 Neither national television nor international media highlighted the raging fires and most Indians are blissfully unaware or unconcerned about the destructive fires.<\/p>\n
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