Bhubaneswar: Expressing his concern over the raging forest fire in Similipal National Park, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the situation Wednesday afternoon and asked senior officials to take steps to control it.
CM Patnaik described the Similipal forest as a valuable asset of the world. He directed senior officials to ensure its conservation as well as to take crucial preventive measures to avoid recurrence of forest fires.
Additional Chief Secretary (Forest and Environment) Mona Sharma who attended the meeting said that the forest fire is under control.
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No loss of life has occurred and large trees are intact, Sharma added during the high-level review meeting on the forest fire at Similipal.
Sharma further stated that an SOP has been issued in connection with the inferno in the Similipal sanctuary. The DFO concerned has also been directed to furnish forest fire alerts every evening to the State government and Mayurbhanj district Collector Vineet Bhardwaj.
5T Secretary to Chief Minister V K Pandian and senior officials of the Forest department were present in the meeting.
Notably, a high-level team along with PCCF Sashi Paul visited the Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district and conducted a review meeting Wednesday on the means to control and douse the surging fire. The inferno has engulfed parts of the park for over a week.
PNN