Bhubaneswar: Forest fire incidents in Odisha this summer have crossed 18,000, with Baliguda forest division in Kandhamal district and Kalahandi North division emerging as major hotspots, according to information shared by the forest department on Wednesday.Both Baliguda and Kalahandi North are tribal-dominated regions and have been reporting far more fire points than many other forest divisions. Forest officials said the pattern is closely linked to livelihood practices in parts of Kalahandi, most of Kandhamal and Boudh districts, where controlled burning of bushes is often carried out by local communities.Officials said people start bush fires to facilitate collection of mahua flowers, podu or shifting cultivation, and kendu leaf plucking, which remain primary sources of livelihood in these areas. The burning clears undergrowth and makes access easier during the collection season, but it also contributes significantly to the rise in forest fire incidents.Forest officials said despite the high number of fire points this year, the department said the situation remains below last summer’s level so far. During last summer, Odisha recorded 28,585 fire points. “If intermittent overcast conditions continue in May and June, the total number of fire points this season may remain below last year’s figure,” a forest officer said.Deputy conservator of forests Sunita Jee, who is overseeing forest fire incidents in the state, said there was a decline in fire occurrences during the second week of April because of overcast weather, but the numbers rose again in the third week. “Even with the recent increase, the scale and intensity of fires in April have remained lower than during the corresponding period last year,” she said, adding most fire points are being attended to by forest personnel, who are using blowers and other ground-level measures to douse the flames.The forest department said weather has helped bring temporary relief, but daily monitoring and proactive intervention have also played a key role in containing the spread. Officials said these efforts have ensured that core areas of wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests have so far remained unaffected, even as fire-prone divisions such as Baliguda and Kalahandi North continue to report a high number of incidents.
