A massive fire has threatened to cause colossal damage to Similipal Biosphere located in Odisha. Now, the Odisha government has deployed a big contingent to control the fire.
Key Points
- Similipal Biosphere is one of the largest biospheres in the country.
- Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has expressed concerns about the massive fire and has sought a report.
- The fire originally broke out in the first week of February in isolated places of Similipal in Mayurbhanj district has now spread to eight forest ranges and is raging.
- However, the State government has informed that the core area of the biosphere was untouched by the fire, the environmentalists and local activists have raised alarm over possible damage to flora and fauna.
- Over 1,200 field staff, 225 fire watchers, and squads with 240 fire blowers have been deployed to control the fire from spreading further.
- As of now, there is no report of major wildlife death or dense forest being affected.
- As per the officials, the cause of the fire is the unprecedented dryness caused by the early arrival of summer.
- Local people usually set sal leaves lying on the ground on fire to collect Mahua and other non-timber forest produce. The heat-wave condition in Mayurbhanj aided the fire.
- Similipal has 1,076 flowering species and 96 species of orchids.
- Similipal houses a variety of wild animals including tigers and elephants. It has 304 species of birds, 62 species of reptiles, and 20 species of amphibians.
Similipal biosphere is spread over an area of 4,374 sq. km. It has 845 sq. km. of core forest (tiger reserve), 1,400 sq km of transition space, and 2,129 sq. km buffer area.
Last Modified: February 11, 2024