Odisha: Forest fires rage in Simlipal Tiger Reserve, Prakash Javadekar takes cognizance

Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday responded to reports regarding the forest fires in Simlipal Tiger Reserve, saying that he had ordered officers to take immediate action and report it to him. As per sources, Simlipal which is one of India's largest biosphere reserves in the Mayurbhanj district in Odisha has been enveloped in forest fires over the past week.

Following the reports, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan apprised Prakash Javadekar and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik asking them to take cognizance of the alarming forest fires. The Environment Ministry has now taken cognizance over the matter. This also comes months after local reports of a sand and timber mafia came to the fore from Simlipal. As many as 7,188 fire spots have been spotted in Odisha since November 1. The state has 51,619 square kilometers of forest cover with over 19% of the region categorized as 'fire-prone.'

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Similipal National Park

The Similipal National Park is a national park and tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in Odisha spanning over 2,750 km2. Part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, it includes three protected areas — Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary with 191.06 km2, and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary with 272.75 km2.

The National Park derives its name from the abundance of red silk cotton trees growing in the area and is the 7th largest national park in India, home to the Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, gaur, and chausingha. The area is also part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009. 

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