Three persons were arrested by the Forest Department personnel on Saturday for allegedly setting a fire at the Mundeswar Forest Range in Boudh district. Later, in the day the accused were forwarded to court. Acting on a tipoff, the officials raided some locations in the forest and located and caught red-handed the accused, who were burning dry leaves for poaching wild animals.
Meanwhile, the Forest Department has pulled up it socks to take stringent action against those who set forest ablaze by forming special squads. A coordination meeting between forest officials and district administration was held to plan strategies for the joint crackdown.“The staffs in the zone have been split into several teams and they are keeping a watch on fire incidents. We are taking all necessary steps to prevent poachers from setting forests afire,” said a forest official.