Bhubaneswar: As the state braces for the upcoming wildfire season, the Odisha Forest Department has moved into the final phase of preparedness, deploying advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras and drones to strengthen early detection and rapid response mechanisms.
Addressing a press conference at Aranya Bhawan on Wednesday, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force (PCCF & HoFF), Dr K Murugesan, said the department has adopted a multi-pronged strategy combining technology, manpower augmentation and community participation to curb forest fires across the state. He warned that forest fires continue to pose a serious threat to biodiversity, wildlife habitats and the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.
Conservator of Forests (Protection and Sustainable Management) Karthik V, who was also present at the briefing, highlighted that Odisha recorded 29,709 forest fire incidents last year, largely due to prolonged dry weather, accumulation of dry leaves and human negligence.
“Despite the high number of incidents, timely alerts from satellite-based early warning systems and swift action by ground staff helped control nearly 99.7% of the fires, significantly limiting damage,” he said.
Building on last year’s experience, the Forest Department has prepared district-wise action plans for the current fire season. Preventive measures include the creation of fire lines stretching over 20,461 km across vulnerable forest areas to stop fires from spreading.
This year, special emphasis has been placed on technology-driven interventions. AI-enabled surveillance cameras and drones are being used to detect fires at an early stage, allowing quicker deployment of response teams. As part of operational strengthening, 334 dedicated forest protection teams have been stationed at range and beat levels and equipped with over 5,000 leaf blowers and other firefighting tools.
To boost preparedness on the ground, the department is conducting more than 631 training programmes for forest personnel. Around 200 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been given specialised training in forest fire prevention and management to support operations during peak fire periods.
Appealing for public cooperation, the Forest Department has called upon local communities and residents of forest-adjacent areas to play an active role in preventing forest fires. Awareness campaigns are being conducted in nearly 336 villages through Forest Protection Committees and Eco-Development Committees.
Officials stressed that negligence-related fires must be avoided and emphasised that safeguarding forests is not possible without the collective participation of the public.
