Cuttack: The Wildlife Society of Odisha expressed concern over vast forest tracts being ravaged by fires as the state observed International Day of Forests on Wednesday.

The society alleged that "despite the state government issuing a detailed standard operating procedure to fight forest fires two years ago, field divisions have done little to implement them".

"Nayagarh, Baripada and Athgarh forest divisions are the worst affected areas where fires have raged for four to five days before being brought under control. Similipal Tiger Reserve was also ravaged by fires at Pithabata and Podadiha in Baripada forest division as poachers set them on fire for Akhand Shikar (the annual mass hunting ritual of tribal communities)," society secretary Biswajit Mohanty said on Wednesday.

"Heavy smoke from forest fires of Nayagarh Forest Division blanketed Daspalla town, making life miserable for local residents," he added.

The society has been monitoring the forest fire situation in the elephant habitat areas of Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Angul, Cuttack, Sonepur and Deogarh districts on a regular basis and updating the state's principal chief conservator of forests on the failures of fire squads, Mohanty said. "

Shockingly, few divisional forest officers have implemented the government's standard operating procedure and that has led to recurrent forest fires."

The society claimed that the deficiencies in implementation included publicity of control room and other fire alert numbers, lack of sheds for fire-fighting squads, and absence of safety kit for fire fighters, training and tools for fire control, lack of awareness and involvement of village communities.

During its surveys, the society has also discovered that despite there being a directive to the Kendu Leaf division to prevent collectors from setting fire to forests, the practice continued stealthily in most divisions.

"The standard operating procedure requires the divisional forest officer to organise co-ordination meetings with Kendu Leaf divisional forest officers and the Odisha Forest Development Corporation. No such meetings are taking place in the field," Mohanty said.

The government directive also mandates foot patrolling in vulnerable areas. However, honey collectors and poachers continue to set fire in its absence, leading to raging fires on slopes and hilltops.

"The divisional forest officers should identify all such vulnerable forested hills and intensify patrolling during March to May according to the standard operating procedure to prevent entry of poachers and educate the malhars to stamp out fires," Mohanty said.