Mar 17, 2021, 11:50 IST
As India celebrated
World Wildlife Day this month, an inferno continued to rampage across eight of the 21 forest ranges of Odisha s Similipal National Park. It continues to endanger mammals, amphibians, birds, butterflies, and over 94 species of orchids and many indigenous trees specific to the region. But this disaster is not an exception as more than 36% of Indian forest cover is prone to frequent forest fires, according to a World Wildlife Day (FSI).
This coupled with rapid deforestation has endangered India’s flora, which is one of the richest and most diverse in the world. Experts estimate that there are over 18,000 species of flowering plants and more than 50,000 species of plants, including endemics in the country. India s forest cover also ranges from the tropical rainforests, grasslands, deciduous and coniferous tracts with a wide variety of pine, fir, spruce, cedar, larch, and cypress trees lending to India’s indigenous biodive
Updated Mar 11, 2021 | 06:09 IST
The forest department personnel tried their best to minimise the loss from the fires but they spread further into the Similipal forest. On Tuesday, the forest fire task force chief said that the forest fire was brought under control and no life was lost in the same (Representative Image). | Photo Credit: iStock Images
Key Highlights
On Wednesday, it was reported that the forest fires were curtailed
Bhubaneshwar: For the last week, Odisha has been battling a forest fire. The Similipal National Park, located in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. On Tuesday, the forest fire task force chief said that the forest fire was brought under control and no life was lost in the same.
Updated Mar 04, 2021 | 08:24 IST
Patnaik reviewed the fire situation at Similipal National Park a day after Union Environment, forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar sought a report on the devastating fire at the Park. Similipal forest fire | Photo Credit: ANI
Bhubaneswar: The fire which has been raging at Odisha s Similipal National Park for around a week was brought under control, the Chief Minister s office said on Thursday. CM Naveen Patnaik also reviewed the situation and asked officials to take preventive measures.
According to PTI, CM Patnaik was told during a review meeting that there has been no loss of life, large trees remained unaffected, and the fire has been brought under control.
Similipal fire serves as lesson on human activity within protected areas, say experts downtoearth.org.in - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from downtoearth.org.in Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.