With wildfires sweeping across Odisha’s forests this season, the state government is ramping up efforts to tackle the crisis. Joining hands in this mission, the Reliance Foundation has partnered with the Odisha Forest Department, Vana Suraksha Samities (VSS) (community forest protection groups), and several other organizations to strengthen wildfire prevention and management.
Building a Strong Network for Wildfire Control
The Reliance Foundation is actively collaborating with:
- Odisha’s Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Department,
- Local VSS groups,
- Community volunteers, and
- Various non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
Together, they are focusing on two major goals:
- Raising awareness among forest-dwelling communities about wildfire dangers.
- Training local people on how to prevent, control, and respond to forest fires effectively.
A Three-Month Awareness Drive: From World Wildlife Day to World Environment Day
To make a lasting impact, Reliance Foundation launched a three-month-long awareness campaign starting on World Wildlife Day (March 8) and running until World Environment Day (June 5).
The main focus of this drive is to educate communities about:
- How forest fires start,
- How to spot early signs of a fire,
- What to do when a fire breaks out, and
- How to protect precious forest resources.
The campaign involves direct community engagement, training sessions, and field activities across wildfire-prone areas.
Empowering Villages with Practical Knowledge
In partnership with the Forest Department and NGOs, Reliance Foundation is organizing multi-location audio conferences. These sessions are designed to:
- Share wildfire prevention techniques,
- Train people in quick-response actions, and
- Teach long-term mitigation strategies.
Importantly, the discussions are focused on areas most vulnerable to forest fires.
Spreading the Word in Local Languages
Recognizing that language barriers can limit the reach of important messages, Reliance Foundation is also preparing advisories in local (vernacular) languages. These advisories are being distributed widely across key districts like:
- Rayagada
- Mayurbhanj
- Kandhamal
- Kalahandi
This ensures that even the remotest villages are equipped with life-saving information about forest fire safety.
A Bigger Threat: Loss of Odisha’s Medicinal Plants
Beyond the immediate destruction of wildlife and trees, Odisha’s wildfires are causing another silent crisis — the loss of rare medicinal plants.
These forests are home to plants used in traditional medicine, treating everything from stomach disorders to mental health issues. But with every wildfire, several of these valuable species are disappearing, pushing both biodiversity and local healthcare traditions to the brink.
If these plants vanish, it’s not just a blow to nature — it also affects the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities who rely on them for income and healing practices.
A Dangerous Example: Fire in Ganjam’s Aska Hills
One of the most alarming incidents this season was a massive blaze in the Aska area of Ganjam district.
Two major hill zones, rich with indigenous plants and medicinal herbs, were devastated. Large tracts of forest were burned down, causing irreversible damage to the ecosystem.
How Serious is the Situation?
The numbers are staggering.
Between January 1 and April 25, Odisha’s Forest Department has recorded more than 19,000 fire points — areas within forest land where fires have broken out this season alone.
This highlights how urgent the situation is and why collective action, involving government, NGOs, corporations, and communities, is absolutely essential to save Odisha’s forests.
