With the progressing summer, the rising number of forest fires across Odisha has raised concern of environmentalists and nature lovers. As many as 5,375 fire points were detected in different forests of the State during the last seven days, a Forest Survey of India (FSI) data revealed on Saturday.
These fire points were detected in different forests of Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, Sundargarh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Bargarh, Angul, Boudh, Nayagarh, Khordha, Cuttack and Puri districts, the FSI source mentioned.
Worth mentioning, any fire hotspot detected by satellite i.e. MODIS and/or SNPP-VIIRS sensors which gets filtered in the forest area of India [based on either state RFA (Recorded Forest Area) or state FCM (Forest Cover Maps) as per FSI] is regarded as a ‘forest fire incident’.
Probably, the wildfires raged due to a rise in the temperature and dry weather conditions.
Notably, 1,564 fire points had previously been detected in different forests of the State between April 7 and 14. Since then, there has been a substantial rise.
