Fire breaks out similipal tiger reserve in Odisha

New Delhi: A massive fire broke out inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district on Friday, following the long dry spell and prevailing intense heatwave conditions.

As per the forest officials, the fires were noticed around 31 spots in Tiger Reserve. They said adequate firefighting equipment has been engaged to douse the flames and the operation is underway on a “war footing”.

The Similipal Tiger Reserve authorities have engaged staff and firefighting squads in all sensitive locations to attend the fire points.

“The operation is underway on a war footing in the STR. We have engaged staff and firefighting squads in all sensitive locations to attend the fire points,” field director of STR, Prakash Chand Gogineni, said.

The Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team is also assisting us, he said. There are reports of forest fires in many other forest areas including Angul Forest Division in Odisha.

Meanwhile, intense heatwave conditions continue to prevail in Odisha making normal life miserable.

Jharsuguda and Keonjhar recorded 43.6 degrees Celsius, the highest in the state by this afternoon. Amid the scorching heatwave conditions, the state government has announced summer vacations in all schools in Odisha from the 25th of this month.

Apart from this, the state government also announced that the schools will run from 6.30 to 10.30 in the morning from tomorrow till Tuesday.

The Indian Meteorological Department has said that severe heatwave conditions are very likely in many pockets of Odisha till the 25th of this month. It has issued an orange alert in 18 districts and a yellow alert in 7 districts of Odisha for Monday.