Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Odisha government’s Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Department has started a comprehensive campaign to stop forest fires in the summer. To guarantee efficient forest fire prevention and management, district action plans have been created for each district as part of this project. Mock exercises, training sessions, and fire awareness briefings have been held in every forest block to raise awareness and readiness. To stop flames from spreading, new fire lines have also been built and old ones are being maintained.
Additionally, the agency has provided all forest blocks with fire safety kits and equipment, dispatched cars with fire prevention forces, and registered forest officials and personnel for forest fire warnings on the FSI site. The OFSM smartphone app allows forest officials to receive and react to forest fire notifications. To monitor and respond to forest fires, a 24-hour control center has been established at the headquarters of the State Forest Department and its divisions. In addition, villages that have shown to be successful in preventing and controlling forest fires have received financial rewards.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras have been placed in Similipal in an effort to better monitor and identify forest fires. In his presentation to the Assembly, Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia, Minister for Forest, Environment, and Climate Change, emphasized the state’s dedication to forest fire prevention.
