Bhubaneswar: Odisha government constituted a Special Task Force at panchayat level to control the rising forest fires in the state, a source in the government said Wednesday.
Chief Secretary P K Jena chaired a high-level meeting and directed the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) to deploy Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams at possible locations in forests which are prone to fire.
It was decided in the meeting that the government will use satellite imagery to identify forest fires, the source informed.
The District collectors, SPs, Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) and other senior officials of the districts – which have reported cases of forest fire — joined the meeting through virtual platforms.
The state government has decided to reward the panchayats, individuals and other Non- Government Organisations (NGOs) for giving timely information to the authorities about wildfires.
The District Collectors, SPs and DFOs were asked to keep a vigil on the forest fires in their respective jurisdictions and seek daily reports from the local Tehsildars, Block Development Officers (BDOs), police and forest officials.
Jena also directed the concerned officials to take stringent action against the miscreants responsible for the man-made wildfires.
As many as 23,860 places in the state have reported forest fires out of which the fire has been doused in 98 percent of places, the source added.
UNI