Table of Contents
Cause Behind the Fires
- The fire broke out near Jualikata-Talpada road for some unknown reason.
- A heavy wind blowing in the area added to the woes of the forest department as it spread the flames further.
DTE Magazine
- Summers are yet to arrive in India but several parts of Odisha have already recorded temperatures above the normal.
- Angul was the hottest place in the country at 40.1°C on February 28, 2021 — the hottest it has been in 10 years for this time of the year — according to HR Biswas, director, IMD, Odisha.
- Capital city Bhubaneswar was the hottest place in the country between February 25 and 27. It recorded 40°C on February 27.
Even Adjoining Forests Burned
- Many forests in the Karanjia forest division were also affected by the fires.
- The affected forests were- Thakurmunda, Kendumundi, Naona, Gudagudia, Bareipani, Dudhiani and Satkosia.
Status
- On Sunday, five persons suffered serious burn injuries on JualikataTalpada road.
- Four of the injured persons were identified as Samita Naik, Sumati Maharana, Pindu Maharana and Mamtaz Ali.
- The injured persons were rescued and admitted to the Thakurmunda Community Health Centre (CHC) for treatment.
Status
- Meanwhile, an auto-rickshaw ferrying three passengers was en route to Thakurmunda market and a businessman on his van was coming from the opposite side.
- The two vehicles collided head-on following which all of them fell out of the vehicles and received burn injuries in the fire.
Status
- Several teak and other trees were reduced to cinder, according to Sashi Pal, principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF), Odisha.
Similipal National Park
- The Similipal National Park is a national park and tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in Odisha spanning over 2,750 km2.
- It includes three protected areas:
- Similipal Tiger Reserve,
- Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary with 191.06 km2,
- Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary with 272.75 km2.
Similipal National Park
- The National Park derives its name from the abundance of red silk cotton trees growing in the area and is the 7th largest national park in India, home to the Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, gaur, and chausingha.
- The area is home to 304 species of birds, 62 species of reptiles, 37 species of fish and 55 species of animals
Simlipal National Park
- Waterfalls in SNP: Joranda and Barehipani Falls
- The area is also part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009
Odisha Forest Cover Details
- Odisha has 51,619 square kilometres of forest cover.
- 6,970 sq km of this is very dense and
- 21,552 sq km moderately dense,
- 23,097 sq km is open forest.
- according to the Forest Survey of India (FSI).
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