It may be man-made or nature’s fury. Frequent incidences of jungle burning in the Athagarh Forest Division have added to the woes of the local people and wild animals and birds, already suffering from the sizzling heat for some days now in the current summer.
By now, while acres of forests have been burnt to ashes, the Forest officials have remained a mute spectator. This shows, there is nexus between wood mafias and the officials, who set trees on fire for their personal gains, allege locals.
There are also some other reasons behind fire-spread in the jungle. When the picnickers leave the live fire in jungle, dry leaves come in contact with them and fire spreads. This apart, rubbing between dry wood results also cause fire in jungles.
“But the rampant cases of man-made jungle fire here is not less than a natural disaster. For collecting costly charcoals from the jungle, mafias give kickbacks to Forest officials and set ablaze trees in the remote part of the jungle, which is not generally reached by common people,” said a schoolteacher of Athagarh.
He said Forest officials show solidarity to the people who lodge complaints with them. They even express helplessness that they are not equipped with sufficient devices to check and douse fire in the jungle. It is alleged that charcoal mafias supply charcoal so collected to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and outside of the State.
Some also allege that the tribal people live in jungle areas make fire in the jungle with an apprehension of good harvest called poduchasa.
The forest fire causes drying of water sources in the jungle and thus, forces wild animals, especially elephants, to enter into human habitations in search of food and water.
“Everything happens in the knowledge of Forest officials. local’s complaints have fallen in the deaf years only. If this continues, the eco-system would be ruined soon,” lamented a Athagarh-based environmentalist.