Odisha govt sets up SOP to tackle forest fires

Setting a standard operating procedure (SOP) to tackle forest fires across the state, the Odisha government today decided to give incentives to villagers who help in saving valuable trees from fire incidents.
The decision in this regard was taken ahead of the celebrations for World Earth Day today, which was attended by forest and environment minister B K Arukha and others.
"On the occasion of World Earth Day, I urge citizens to contribute to the environment by planting at least one tree and actively participate in the state government's programme," Arukha said.
As a large number of trees burn every year during summer due to fire in forests, the state government has formulated a SOP, which would be followed to tackle forest fires.

The responsibility of controlling and dousing forest fires would be entrusted on employees from the divisional forest officer (DFO) level to the forest guards.
Similarly, incentives and training would be provided to make the initiative more effective. Each forest range would be equipped with a blower to control the fire, a forest department official said.
"We will construct a series of water conservation and water harvesting structures across major forest areas. This will help in ground water recharging and prevent steams from drying up. We are planning to ensure that these structures are set up in the next five years and this will help in preserving water for drinking and irrigation purposes," said forest and environment secretary Suresh C Mohapatra.