Angul: To turn forest fire prevention and environmental protection into a mass movement, a large-scale awareness cycle rally was flagged off Thursday in front of the Jagannath temple at Purunagarh in Angul town. The initiative is being organised by Sathi Paribar in collaboration with Dharitri and Orissa POST. The five-day rally, scheduled to conclude at Saila Srikhetra February 9, will cover nearly 280km.
During the journey, awareness messages will be disseminated among residents of 120 villages. Special emphasis is being laid on sensitising youth and students about ways to prevent forest fires and protect nature and the environment. Wildfire prevention: Awareness cycle rally flagged off in Angul. The rally began at 8am under the guidance of Sathi Paribar chief adviser Susanta Tripathy and coordinator Subrat Pradhan. Matiasahi Sarpanch Satyabrata Behera formally inaugurated the event. An atmosphere of enthusiasm marked the launch, with environmental activists, students and local residents participating in large numbers.
Children joining the rally on their bicycles added to its appeal. Local residents welcomed the initiative and expressed support for environmental conservation efforts. Susanta and Subrat said the initiative aims to educate people about the severe impact of recurring summer forest fires on wildlife, vegetation, soil and the climate. They said residents would be urged to stop setting fire to dry leaves in hills and forests and to adopt eco-friendly practices in daily life. The cycle rally will cover more than 120 villages under the Angul forest division, Satkosia wildlife division and Athamallik forest division to sensitise villagers, women, youth and students.
The programme was attended by Siddharth Pradhan, president; members Pintu Behera, Rajesh Ranjan Sahu, Subhendu Sahu, Dillip Sahu, Soumyaranjan Thamb, Gurudev Sahu, Bijay Kumar Jena and Papun Sahu; youth social workers Subrat Kumar Sahu, Binod Majhi, Dibyarajan Sahu and Sumant Sahu of Aryabhata Educational Institution; Sipun Sahu, Sunil Dalabehera and Subrat Pradhan of Second Youth Light Association; and district-level members of the Dharitri and Orissa POST in Angul.
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