Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Odisha has topped with the highest count of forest fires in the year 2021in the top-5 states witnessing a large number of forest fires during the last 5-year period.
According to the reports, while answering a question by BJD MP Mamata Mohanta in Rajya Sabha, the Union Forest Minister, Bhupendra Yadav, said Odisha hasn’t sent any loss assessment report to the Centre over the raging wildfires in the State since 2017. As per the data provided by the Union Minister Odisha figured among the top-5 states in the country that recorded the highest count of forest fires.
The Forest Survey of India has sent 51,968 fire alerts (highest in-country) to Odisha in the last fire season that ended on June 30, 2021. the FSI has sent a high of over 3.45 lakh fire alerts across the country by using the Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) spacecraft, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), stated Yadav.
A rewind shows during the month of March-April this year, ‘Simlipal is burning’ trended on the global platform and the State had received a lot of flak then globally.
Image Source – Google
