Bhubaneswar: The Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department of the Odisha government has launched a multifaceted program to prevent forest fires during the summer season.
As part of this initiative, district action plans have been prepared for all districts to ensure effective forest fire prevention and control.
To promote awareness and preparedness, fire awareness meetings, training sessions, and mock drills have been conducted in all forest blocks. Additionally, new fire lines have been created, and existing ones are being maintained to prevent the spread of fires.
The department has also deployed vehicles with fire prevention forces in all forest blocks, equipped them with fire safety equipment and kits, and registered forest officers and staff for forest fire alerts on the FSI portal. Forest officers can receive and respond to forest fire alerts using the OFSM mobile app.
A 24×7 control room has been set up at the State Forest Department Headquarters and divisional headquarters to monitor and respond to forest fires. Furthermore, villages that have demonstrated effective forest fire prevention and control measures have been awarded cash prizes.
In a bid to leverage technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras have been installed in Similipal to enhance monitoring and detection of forest fires. Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia, presented these details in the Assembly, highlighting the state’s commitment to preventing forest fires.
