Daringbadi: Resentment brewed among nature lovers after a forest fire gutted valuable trees worth lakhs in Kandhamal’s Daringbadi.
“About 700-800 coffee plants and more than 2500 flower plants perished in the fire. Moreover, other trees were also gutted,” Soil Conservation Officer Saiba Pradhan said.
“Probe is on to find out what caused the incident,” he added.
According to sources, there are quite a few villages near the coffee farm where villagers engage in turmeric cultivation for a living. It is suspected that a villager could have attempted to burn a patch of the forest to clear land for turmeric cultivation. The fire from the bush could have spread towards the coffee farm. Fire-fallow cultivation is widespread there.
Moreover, according to locals, tourists coming to the coffee farm there for picnic also cook in the area and often leave without extinguishing the fire. A spark from their cooking fire could also have led to the forest fire.
A number of local residents demanded a ban on cooking in the coffee farm for tourists, owing to this.
Probe is on from all angles and necessary action will be taken against those found guilty, Pradhan said.