Odisha goes high-tech: AI now tracking wildfires in state’s forests, says Environment Minister

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now being used to track and control forest fires in Odisha’s dense forest zones, Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia informed the Assembly on Wednesday.

He said GPS-based systems and AI-enabled monitoring tools have been deployed to identify fire points and alert ground teams in real time.

During the discussion on wildfire management, the Minister said the new systems were improving field response and reducing damage. He noted that AI is now helping department officials stop fires in dense forest areas, where human surveillance is limited.

Further, GPS is also being employed in tracking the fire lines and assisting teams in responding quickly, he told the House.

Khuntia added that certain traditional practices still pose challenges.

“Fires are being set in dense forests for soil fertility,” he said, noting that the practice continues in pockets where community-driven slash burning is followed before seasonal vegetation growth.

Adding to this, the Minister reported improvements in wildlife safety. “The mortality rate of animals has reduced, and the occurrence of fires in dense forests has come down,” he stated.

17-Month Wildfire Damage Crosses 4,600 Hectares

Earlier in the day, the Minister briefed the Assembly on the broader scale of wildfire impact across the state. He said Odisha lost 4,609.347 hectares of forest land to wildfires between July 2024 and December 2025, based on officially recorded incidents.

Odisha’s total forest cover stands at 52,433.56 sq km, but divisions such as Nabarangpur, Phulbani, Sundargarh, Bolangir, Khariar, Malkangiri and Jeypore have reported significant fire-linked vegetation loss. Wildlife regions including Similipal (North and South), Sunabeda and Boudh have also recorded extensive damage to ground cover and habitat zones, he said.

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AI Surveillance Also Being Deployed to Curb Illegal Sand Mining

The state’s forest-fire automation update comes days after the Odisha government launched a separate AI-based monitoring system to curb illegal sand mining, marking the first coordinated digital enforcement initiative under the Department of Steel and Mines.

On November 30, the government issued fresh guidelines mandating AI-powered camera surveillance at river ghats, transit routes and storage points for minor minerals. The norms, approved by the Cabinet, are already in force.

The department said the system will enable real-time monitoring of mining, transportation and stock movement, with cameras equipped for automatic number plate recognition, speed tracking and face reading where required.