Odisha govt forms task force to contain forest fire

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday constituted a task force to review the forest fire incidents and suggest immediate containment measures.

Former principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) Sandeep Tripathi will be its chairman.

The task force will review of ongoing forest fire incidence, causes and immediate containment.

It will also suggest measures for augmentation of existing fire management protocols including Geomatics based Fire Alert System, recommend suggestions for improved community participation in fire management and prevention.

It will also conduct post assessment of forest fire affected area such as loss to wildlife, biodiversity and suggest appropriate measures for augmentation, give suggestions for improvement of SOP for fire prevention and management in the state to prevent and restrain such fire occurrences.