Bhubaneswar:With the cases of forest fires increasing in the state, the Odisha government on Monday constituted a task force to review the forest fire incidents and suggest immediate containment measures.
The decision comes on the back of wildfires raging in Odisha -- one in Similipal Tiger Reserve and another reported to have broken out at adjacent Kuladiha Sanctuary.
The nine-member task force has been formed under the chairmanship of the former principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) Sandeep Tripathi. It has members from the Central and state government, civil society and community, which will suggest further steps for the prevention of forest fires in the state.
It will assess the causes behind the incidents of forest fire and suggest measures for its immediate containment, said a notification of the forest department.
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The task force will also suggest measures for augmentation of the existing fire management protocols, including a geomatics-based fire alert system.