Similipal Tiger Reserve fire: Officers averse to support of local forest outfits, blames Congress

BARIPADA:  The Congress party on Saturday blamed the Forest department for the raging fire in Similipal Tiger Reserve and targetted South Similipal Division for its complacency in tackling the crisis.
Party observer for Mayurbhanj district, Sudarshan Das who led a fact-finding team said the biosphere reserve is in danger but department is unwilling to take on board forest stakeholder organisations which play a key role.

“I met members of Vana Suraksha Committe, Eco Development Committee and Vana Suraskha Manch who expressed their resentment as forest officers are not accepting their assistance,” he said.As the forest fire rages on, he alleged, at least six protection assistants are engaged at the home and office of DFO, Similipal South JD Pati, he said. 

The forest officers are making a mistake by engaging outsiders and barring locals who served as protection assistant and had better experience in tackling fire in the forest, he added.  The Congress leader said, while forest dwellers set ground fire for collection of Mahua flowers, poachers are doing the same to kill wildlife.

Different organisations which were involved for protection and development of the forests are not accepted by the forest department as a result of which it has failed to mitigate the fire crisis in the national park. The fact finding team also alleged that Forest Rights Act is not being implemented in Similipal and demanded its execution for development of forest dwellers. 

Fire in Ganjam forests 
Even as the unprecedented rise in temperature has made life miserable for people residing in villages of Patrapur and Bhanjanagar blocks of Ganjam district, fire in North Ghumusur forest, raging for the last five days, has made matters worse. The fire has now spread to human settlements near Mujaguda forest and Fire fighters from G Udayagiri are engaged in dousing the flames. Similarly, fire has been raging in Samantiapali forest range in Patrapur for last one week. The inferno has destroyed cashewnut orchards near Gudikhala village. Around 17 forest and fire personnel are trying to douse the flame in the area.