Simlipal Forest Fire: 1 Large Fire Still Rages On, NGOs put the Loss at 25%

Bhubaneswar: Even as Odisha still tops the nation in the number of fire alerts issued in the last 7-days, the comforting fact for the State is active large fire events have drastically dropped by 98 per cent in the last 144 hours.

As per the data available with the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Odisha saw around 15,392 fire alerts during the last seven days to virtually top the country. However, the count of active large fire events in the State dropped to a mere 14 from 918 on March 7.

But the sore fact for Odisha is Simlipal is still burning. As per the FSI, large fire activity was detected in Gurguria-12 in the National park on March 12, and the fire is still lingering even today.

WHY FIRE REFUSES TO DIE OUT IN SIMLIPAL?

Though the Odisha government puts the blame on nature and locals for the large-scale fire events in Asia's second-largest biosphere reserve, the shocker to the fore is this year the forest management apparatus at the micro-level in the national park was in limbo.

"Unlike earlier years, in the last two years, for whatever reason, the Vana Surakhsha Samitis (VSS) here were in a disorganised state. Lack of community participation in forest fire management has been the big reason behind the burning of Simlipal this year," opined Aditya Patnaik, President of  Antodaya Chetna Mandal (ACM), an NGO working in the arena for the last 25 years.

He further explained that the State Forest Department uses the funds released by the Centre under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) to train and equip the VSS members to conserve forests.

"But this year there has been no comprehensive coordination between State Forest Department and VSSs, and this has been the prime reason behind the spread of fire to larger areas in Simlipal," he reasoned.

FIRE TOLL IN SIMLIPAL

Though Odisha PCCF Shashi Paul had vehemently denied any big loss to the biosphere reserve, as per an assessment by the ACM, this year's fire has affected nearly 25 per cent of the flora assets of  Simlipal National Park,

"As per our widespread involvement in the Kapatipada area and other such panchayats, nearly one-fourth of the flora and fauna have been lost due to the fire this year. And it will take 5-years to recoup the loss. This biosphere reserve has been a rich source of honey bees. The fire has dealt a big blow to the bees," he lamented.

WHY FIRE RAGES IN SIMLIPAL?   

Speaking to Odishatv.in, Patnaik said the raging fire in Simlipal has both the social and economic aspects.

"High unemployment among the tribal population and the harassment they faced in collecting minor forest produces have frustrated the tribals. Their pent-up feelings are also a major reason behind the rise in fire activities in the forest," he observed.

Besides, the two - poachers and encroachers- make a tango casting deleterious impact in the conservation of forests.

"While poachers knowingly trigger the fire to net the wild animals like baraha and deers, encroachers fan the flames to claim land rights under the Forest Right Act in the peripheral areas of the national park," explained Patnaik.

HOW TO MAKE SIMLIPAL FIREPROOF?  

The key fire-proofing strategy lies in strengthening the VSSs and recruiting more locals in the forest fireguard force, emphasised Patnaik.

Besides, proper implementation of Forest Right Acts and provisioning a sustained income source to the local populace will go a large way in subsiding their pent up feelings against the State government.

As a consequence, local communities will pitch forth themselves in conserving forest and preventing forest fires in a salutary way, he added.