Baripada: Forest fires in Similipal National Park have seriously affected the survival of herbivorous animals and other wildlife species in the sanctuary. These animals are facing food crunch as the raging fires have gobbled up large chunks of the forest.
Reports said thousands hectares of pasture land, twigs and leaves, bushes and small plants have been reduced into ashes. The fire which has occurred due to the mistakes of humans has put lives of herbivorous animals at stake. Many medicinal plants and a huge number of insects, prey to various species of birds have also perished in the fire.
The wildlife sanctuary has 1,076 types of plants, 94 types of orchids, 604 types of medicinal plants, 45 types of mammals, 304 types of birds, 62 types of reptiles and 20 types of amphibians.
The forest dwellers who earn their living from the forest and the animal and birds getting their food from it are posed with serious challenges threatening their survival. Herbivorous animals like deer, sambhar, elephant, rabbit, wild boar and the cattle, goats and sheep living the foothill survive on the grass, leaves and branches of the trees growing in the forest. However, they have been reduced to ashes now. This has resulted in food scarcity for the animals
Also the herbivores while running away from the fire are falling prey to carnivores and poachers.
Environmentalist Sanat Kumar Dash has called all stakeholders to join hands to save the wildlife sanctuary from the fire which is threatening the survival of vast array of flora and fauna and is a storehouse of oxygen. Meanwhile, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Santosh Joshi cancelled Sunday leaves of all forest staff under the division even as fresh reports of fire incidents have been reported from over 20 points under Udala, Dujura, Bangiriposi, Rasgovindpur ranges close to Similipal biosphere reserve.
Leaves of all the staff under Baripada division have been cancelled for indefinite period, Joshi said adding that 100 more personnel have been engaged on contractual basis in the fire fighting operation. The forest officials are trying to douse the fire but staff crunch has hit their efforts. There are only 1,200 forests personnel engaged in dousing fire while there is a need for around 5000.
He warned the miscreants of immediate arrest if anyone is found to have set forests on fire. Joshi appealed to locals to conserve forests and refrain from lilting the dry leafs in the forest.
Expressing concern over the raging forest fire, the Queen and Princess of erstwhile Mayurbhanj royal family-Rasmi Rajyalaxmi Bhanjadeo and daughter Akshita also pitched in to douse the flames at Tangadhua, Raipal and Badampur villages under Bangiriposhi range in Mayurbhanj district. The queen also discussed with local villagers the methods that should be implemented for dousing the fire and to prevent its spread any further.
PNN
