Sharmili Mallick

Baripada: Forest fire again broke out in different ranges of Similipal National Park on Sunday resulting in the increase in temperature in the region. Smoke has enveloped the area triggering health concerns.

As per reports, as many as 52 fresh fire spots have come up in different ranges of the wild.

Several fire points have been identified at Pandabandh and Champapulia under Nawana Range of the forest. Similarly, fire spots have been detected at different places in Bareipani, Chohala, Gurugudia and Kendumundi forest ranges.

Even as over 1000 personnel of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Fire services and forest officials have been engaged in extinguishing the inferno in the park, they have reportedly failed to bring the flames completely under control, said reports.

Earlier on March 31, as many as 50 fire spots were reported in Similipal. While 28 fire points were identified in STR South, 6 were noticed in STR North.

It’s worth mentioning here that the Similipal Tiger Reserve was affected by a massive wildfire for 10 long days in February and damaged over thousands of medicinal trees.

While the state is still battling to contain the forest fire devouring the valuable woods in different areas, the back to back fire incidents at Similipal have raised concerned among the people and environmentalists across the globe.

(Edited By Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)

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