Simlipal forest fire image shared on Twitter on March 3
New Delhi:
In the wake of a raging forest fire in Odisha s Simlipal National Park for over a week, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said a committee of experts is being sent to help the state government manage such incidents in the region. Announcing the decision on Twitter, Mr Javadekar also said that he discussed the forest fire with Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan and other parliamentarians from Odisha.
A massive fire devastated vast tracts of Simlipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district and other wildlife habitats nearby, raising concern among environmental activists over its possible impact. The Odisha government on Tuesday claimed that no life was lost in the forest fire and that 95 per cent of the fire points have been extinguished or at least attended to.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday said while India was making PPE kits for the world, some people were busy "making tool kit against Indians".
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday the country was still a long way from being able to relax a national lockdown despite evidence that the restrictions were bringing down the rate of COVID-19 infections.