Odisha Fire: State government claims Similipal fire under control, Celebs raising their eyebrows

Two weeks after the forest fire in Odisha’s Similipal tiger reserve began, the state government claimed that the fire was almost under control and more staff have been deployed to extinguish it.

It has been two weeks since the world-renowned Smilipal Tiger Reserve caught fire, causing a headache for the state administration to bring the flame under control.

As per state government 6000+ forest department & ODRAF personnel are working round the clock to control the fire in Similipal forests. This ecosystem is the lungs of Odisa and needs to be protected.

Forest fire task force chief said on March 9 that Simlipal forest fire is totally under control and no life was lost in the blaze. A massive fire ripped through vast tracts of Simlipal National Park in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, raising concern among wildlife and environmental activists over its possible impact.

Twitteratis and environmental activist registering their anger on delayed action and no media coverage in national media about this environmental crisis.

India’s famous award winning child environmentalist Licypriya Kangujam raised her voice and eyebrows, “on this issue on twitter I couldn’t find a single Indian celebrities who cried for Australia bushfire to speak out for #SimilipalForestFire.”

Initially, Akshita M Bhanj Deo, daughters of Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo, the 47th ruler of the Bhanja dynasty, princely state of Mayurbhanj, Orissa raised her voice and later joined by Indian celebrities, Dia Mirza, Randeep Hooda and Richa Chadha also to raise this issue as emergency.

The Odisha government on March 8 constituted a task force to review forest fire incidents and suggest immediate containment measures. The force will also assess the causes behind the incidents of forest fire and suggest measures for its immediate containment.

The government said the core area of the Similipal Tiger Reserve has not been impacted much and the fire was mostly confined to the peripheral areas.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Bikash Parishad, a social outfit on Tuesday filed a PIL in the Orissa High Court seeking appropriate measures to contain and douse the wildfire in Similipal tiger reserve and other forests across the state.

Source: Agency / Video and Picture credit – Debashish Mishra