Papadahandi – With the arrival of summer, forest fires have started breaking out in the Sanabarli forest of Papadahandi Block in Nabarangpur district. Most of these forest fires are believed to be man-made. Despite awareness campaigns by the Forest Department, some people continue with irresponsible behavior.
Ajit Nayak Maheswar Behera, and Nirmal Bishoi came across a fire near the road adjacent to the Sanabarli forest. They saw people breaking branches to spread the fire. In many parts of Nabarangpur district, particularly in forest areas, it is alleged that land mafias intentionally set fire to forests to destroy valuable woodland.
Their timely action helped prevent a major forest fire. Seeing the media representatives trying to extinguish the fire, two youths passing by the road also joined in to assist. These journalists could have simply reported the incident, but instead, they took action and helped put out the fire, which has been widely praised at various levels.