With the temperature soaring, incidence of forest fire is on the rise prompting both the government and private agencies to involve the community living in villages along the forest-side to tame the inferno.
Odisha’s approximately 52,156 square kilometres of forest area accounts for over 33 per cent of the states’ total geographical area, according to the 2021 assessment of the Forest Survey of India.
As per the data published by the Forest Department of the Government of Odisha, there have been 19, 892 forest fires recorded in Odisha in the current season, between January 1 to April 25, 2025.
Keeping in view the devastating nature of forest fires on the environment and wildlife, the Reliance Foundation has collaborated with the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department of Odisha, community cadres, Vana Suraksha Samitis (VSSs), and NGO partners to create awareness and capacity building for effectively preventing forest fire in the state.
As part of this initiative, a three-month-long awareness campaign has been initiated from the World Wildlife Day on 8th March, which will run till World Environment Day on 5th June 2025.
The Reliance Foundation, in association with the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department and NGO PRADAN, is engaging community cadres through field-level activities and a series of multi-location audio conferences on forest fire mitigation awareness, focussing on major forest fire vulnerable areas, different preparedness, response, and mitigation strategy for forest fire management and role of community in forest fire mitigation.
Fortnightly multi-location audio conferences are being conducted, connecting the Forest Department officials with community cadres from multiple locations to discuss and take necessary measures on mitigation of forest fire. Advisories in vernacular language are being disseminated in the districts of Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, Kandhamal and Kalahandi.
The aspects covered include natural and anthropogenic causes of forest fire, local and global impact of forest fire, role of communities, and synergy between Forest Department, civil society organizations and NGOs in forest fire management and initiatives from Forest Department in forest fire response and mitigation.
The campaign aims to increase the community’s preparedness for fire risk, improved response and mitigation measures. Through increased stakeholder collaboration by means of engaging the local community and government department in fire mitigation efforts, it is working towards reducing human caused forest fire incidence.