Nuapada: Five days have passed since fires broke out in some forests of Nuapada district. The fires are spreading to new areas and the Forest department’s efforts have failed to contain the blaze.
Wildfires in three reserve forests of Nuapada district have destroyed scores of trees, bushes and valuable plants. Wildfires have been reported in Lankeswari hill, Mungi and Muramuri reserve forests, 3 km from NH-353.
Fires have been raging in these forests for the last three days. Meanwhile, the Forest department has taken steps to douse fires.
It has deployed altogether 30 teams in three ranges – 10 teams each in Komna, Sunabeda and Nuapada ranges. As the fires keep on spreading, people living in nearby villages are panicked about possible impacts of wildfires.
Earlier, groups of people from nearby Bharuamunda, Mahulabhatta, Bhatipada and Sihinamunda had initiated their efforts to bring the fires under control, but it was not possible on their part to contain the blaze.
Villagers alleged that though the Forest department had been reminded of the fires several times, the latter did not care a fig for this.
They pointed out that as fires keep spreading wild animals are seen breaking out of their forest habitats to end up in the hands of poachers and stray dogs in villages.
PNN