Similipal Wildfire: BJP Sends Delegation To Take Stock Of Situation

Baripada: Odisha BJP on Sunday has sent a 15-member team to Similipal to take stock of the situation as the unprecedented wildfire in the biosphere is yet to be controlled. The team is led by senior party MLA Jay Narayan Mishra.

According to party sources, the team will assess the impact of the fire on local people and wildlife animals from ground zero. They will also look into the measures taken by the State government so far for the containment of fire in the forest.

"The delegation will discuss the matter with local people and authorities. After investigating the real cause of the wildfire, the matter will be up for discussion in the Assembly," said Mishra.

Meanwhile, a Central team formed by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has visited Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) to take stock of the wildfire and its impact. National Tiger Conservation Authority IG Amit Mallick along with Deputy Director General of MoEF&CC Regional Office Subrat Mohapatra visited different places in Similipal and interacted with villagers as well as members of Eco Development Committee (EDC) in Thakurmunda.

Earlier on March 10, a nine-member team of Odisha BJP led by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had met Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking his urgent intervention for suitable remedial and reparative actions to stop the raging fire in several forest ranges in the State.