The Odisha forest department has decided to send a proposal to the state government seeking procurement of motorcycle-mounted fire extinguishing blowers instead of body-mounted ones. This decision comes after at least 10 personnel fell sick due to heat exhaustion and extreme fatigue during forest fire dousing exercises.
Current Practice Causes Health Risks
Head of forest force and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) K Murugesan explained that states like Maharashtra are already using motorcycle-mounted blower machines, which significantly reduce fatigue and exhaustion while dealing with fires. He highlighted the drawbacks of the current practice in Odisha.
“As per the practice prevalent now in our state, huge blowers are carried by fire watchers on their back. As they ride pillion, they get down from the motorcycle before operating the blower. They have to walk very close to the fire points and switch on the blowers, leading to exposure to fire as well as summer heat,” said the top forest officer.
Training and Implementation Plan
Murugesan added that the department will send a few forest officers and personnel to other states that use vehicle-mounted blowers to learn about their functioning. “Vehicle-mounted fire doesn’t require the personnel to go too close to the fire. Riding a motorcycle, which can access narrow roads, they can switch on the blowers and douse the flames,” he said.
Once the proposal is approved and funds are allocated, the vehicle-mounted blowers will be procured to ensure more effective and less exhaustive firefighting operations.
Reduction in Fire Points This Year
This year, the forest department reported that towards the end of April, the state recorded 4,000 fewer fire points compared to the same period in 2025. “We have reported around 20,000 fire points so far. This was around 24,000 around the same time last year. Weather has helped to some extent to bring down the fire incidences,” the officer said.
Focus on Village Roads
In another development, forest officials have instructed field-level firefighters to keep a watch along village roads, as fires mostly start from the edges of such roads. “We discovered that villagers set on fire dry leaves along village roads, knowing that it will spread anyway. So, we have asked the field personnel to keep tabs on village roads,” a forest officer said.
