Forest fire inching closer to Joshimath contained in 20 hours
The fire that broke out in the forest of Helang village reached Badrinath Highway before inching ahead towards the town.
Squads involving over 1000 forest staff and local people , blowers are battling the raging fire in Similipal National Park.
Senior forest officials who have rushed to the area to monitor the situation insist that the situation is under control and not ‘alarming’. There has been no casualty, big trees have not been affected and there is no reason to panic, they said.
The Regional Chief Conservator of Forest (RCCF) Yoga Jayanand said the situation is not alarming and there are no mishaps reported.
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Saikiran , the DFO of Similipal North Wildlife Division said that there are 86 fire points under his division and most of them were controlled. The prolonged high summer temperature is causing the spread of the fire and as one point is extinguished another starts burning.
To check the fire in the forest, the division has engaged more than 70 forest personnel over seven ranges besides assistance of local dwellers and youths. The fire at Tinkosia forest area was doused this morning, he informed.
Manuwar Khan , forest ranger of Nilagiri said that the wildfire at three places has been controlled while Biswaraj Panda the DFO of Balasore said besides the squads the help of Vana Suraksha Samiti members has been taken .
Odisha Forest Monitoring system has uploaded the fire mishap of exact places which is helping to immediately extinguish the fire mishap in forests, said the forest officers.
The villagers in Nilagiri police station area have turned apprehensive of wild animals entering human habitations due to the fire. Some of them alleged that a wild bear is moving in the villages. The villagers deployment of more forest personnel to keep watch of the movement of animals.
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