Patana: Women in Nihuan village under this block in Keonjhar district have taken the responsibility to guard a reserve forest in their locality from fires, officials said Monday. They have formed teams and are guarding the forest on a rotation basis since a fire broke out a few days back. Fires have been reported from various areas under the Patana range in Keonjhar district. The fires are not only destroying green cover, but also endangering the lives of wild animals, villagers said. Sources said that it was expected that the Forest department would take steps to combat the fires.
However, with no action coming from their end, the women have come out to save the jungle which is spread over 240km. A part of the forest which is in the vicinity of the village had caught fire a few days back following which hundreds of trees were reduced to ashes. Later, it came to light that some miscreants had ignited the fire under the influence of alcohol. This revelation sparked anger and resentment among the villagers and they decided to take stringent measures to prevent repetition of such incidents. Villagers have now put up posters that warn people from consuming liquor in and around the jungle. Anyone found violating the rule will have to pay a fine of Rs 2,000, the villagers said. They added that since the posters were put up anti-social activities have decreased to a great extent.
However, Triveni Singh, a resident of Nihuan village, said that such activities usually occur in the jungles close to the roadside. She said patrolling these areas on a regular basis can curb such activities. “The forest gives us wood, roots, leaves, mohua flowers, medicines, and all the natural resources we need. “We can only survive if the forests are protected,” said Nirupama Singh, another resident of the same village. Village head Subhash Chandra Singh said that since the women started guarding the forest, anti-social activities have reduced drastically. Keonjhar DFO HD Dhanraj praised the efforts of the villagers.