Forest fire heat in Odisha assembly; Minister says action being taken against violators

The Opposition parties raised the issue of rampant forest fire in several parts of the state during the Odisha Assembly session on Tuesday. Raising the issue, Congress MLA Suresh Routray and BJP MLA Kusum Tete sought answers on what steps are being taken by the state government in this regard.

“The forests are burning for the past 15 days, has the government taken any steps so far,” Congress MLA questioned.

“Be it Mohula or for any other reason, forests are catching up fire. I suggest that there should be stern action against the violators,” BJP MLA Kusum Tete said.

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In his reply, Forest and Environment Minister Pradip Amat told that the farmers are burning the left over crops after harvest and it is for this reason that large areas are being shown under fire from satellite images.

“From the satellite reports, the fires have not only been reported in forest areas, but it is also being reported in agricultural lands,” said Amat.

According to the Minister, the assistance of Women Self-Help Groups and Forest Surakshya Samiti is being taken to control the forest fire incidents. Apart from this, efforts are also underway to douse the flames with the help of the latest technology as well, the Minister informed.

In view of the surge in forest fire incidents, Odisha Chief Secretary chaired a high-level meeting on Monday. The state government is taking stern action against those, who are entering the forests and involved in forest fire incidents, the Minister informed the House today.

(Reported by Harihar Chand)