Question: Simlipal forest reserve area that has witnessed week long fire is situated in which Indian state?
(a) Odisha
(b) Karnataka
(c) West Bengal
(d) Assam
Answer: (a)
Related facts:
- Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has ordered officers to take immediate action on the forest fires raging in Simlipal Tiger Reserve.
- A forest fire started in Simlipal in February and has been raging for nearly a week now.
- The forest area witness’s frequent fires during the dry weather conditions, generally, with the onset of summers and towards the end of autumn.
- The last incident of a major forest fire was reported in 2015.
Simlipal Biosphere Reserve:
- Similipal derived from ‘Simul’ (silk cotton) tree, is a national park and a tiger reserve situated in the northern part of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
- Similipal and the adjoining areas, comprising 5,569 sq km, was declared a biosphere reserve by the Government of India on June 22, 1994, and lies in the eastern end of the eastern ghat.
- Similipal is the 7th largest national park in India.
- The area is also part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009.
By-Amar Mani Upadhyay
Links:
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/simplipal-forest-fire-explained-7213375/