Rewards are being given to informers, staff, public, etc. as per “Reward for Detection of Forest Offence Rules, 2004” to encourage them to cooperate in forest protection activities. During 2024–25, an amount of Rs. 32,17,651/- has been deposited in the bank accounts by different Divisional Forest Officers towards reward amount to the informers.

In addition to this, for protection of Berbera and Dhuanali forests from the claws of forest mafia, 25 numbers of Forest Guards and 04 numbers of Foresters have been recruited, especially to assist the Odisha Special Striking Force in the State.

As per Government policy on ease of doing business, Online Timber Transit Permit System (OTTPS) has been developed to facilitate applicants (citizens or institutions) to apply for transit permit for tenant timber from private holding land through online mode.

An individual/applicant will apply through the internet facility available with mobiles/desktop/Jana Seva Kendra in the website www.ttpermitodisha.in. Applicants can easily apply for timber transit permit from any place and track their application status at any point of time.

The user guidelines/manual for applying through the online system in detail is available at the first webpage of the said website.

To implement a transformational action point, the timeline for issue of timber transit permit is fixed to 42 days for disposal through Online Timber Transit Permit System (OTTPS), which was earlier 172 days.

All the provisions such as joint verification, registration of property hammer mark, submission of tree enumeration list, issuance of T.T. Permit, etc. are streamlined through this online application system.

The number of cases of forest fire that took place during the last three years and the current year in the State is given below:

The Forest, Environment & Climate Change Department, Government of Odisha has taken the following remedial and preventive measures to control forest fire and to save forest resources, including wild animals:

• Information Technology Intervention using Odisha Forest Management System (OFMS):
• Receiving of fire alerts from Forest Survey of India (FSI).
• Processing of data in OFMS system, and alerts sent directly to mobile phones up to the level of Beat Forest Guards for immediate response within their jurisdiction.
• Offline navigation to fire alert points, data collection with geo-tagged pictures, and action taken are uploaded using OFMS mobile application.
• Centralized data sync from mobile to OFMS server for proper reporting of fire alert status throughout the State.
• District Level Committee - In each district of the State, a District Level Committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the concerned District Collector to facilitate inter-departmental cooperation for effective prevention and management of forest fires.
• Planning & Institutional Measures - Annual District Action Plan is put in place well in advance to mitigate deficiency of funds during emergency situations from other schemes/sources of the District Administration to combat forest fire.
• The Standard Operating Procedure (S.O.P.) for prevention and control of forest fire in the State has been prepared and circulated in vernacular language to field officials for taking up effective measures for prevention & control of forest fire.
• Creation and maintenance of fire lines on annual basis.
• Deployment of Fire Fighting Squads with hired vehicles and logistic support in all identified fire vulnerable sites of the State.
• Incentives are given to the Vana Surakhya Samities for their active participation in combating the forest fire in coordination with the forest department personnel.
• Supply of modern equipment like leaf litter blowers and other fire fighting gadgets to Fire Fighting Squads for effective prevention and control of forest fire.
• Registering of Mobile numbers of all field staff starting from Forest Guards to the Divisional Forest Officer for receiving the fire alerts directly from Forest Survey of India. Control Rooms have been made functional both at State Forest Headquarters and Divisional Headquarters for monitoring of forest fire incidences. Control room at forest headquarters is dedicated with Toll Free Number 1800-3457-158 for use by public on 24x7 basis.
• Training & capacity building programmes are being regularly organized at different levels for field staff directly involved in combating the forest fire.

Awareness campaign through distribution of leaflet, brochure, folk dance, road side play etc. and also through SHG groups are being organized to sensitize the forest fringe villagers on prevention of forest fire. The Orissa Forest Act 1972 Section 27(3) and the Orissa Forest (Fire Protection) Rules, 1979 are in force to take up appropriate punitive measures against the culprits involved in causing forest fires.

The State Government have received financial assistance from Government of India throughCentrallySponsored Scheme under Forest Fire Prevention & Management programme in 60:40basis (i.e.60% Central Share & 40% State Share). The details are given below:

Firesquad Mega bicycle rally on forest fire prevention, Jharsuguda

The following nine numbers of Saw Mills owned by OFDC Ltd are functioning in the State:

• Khapuria Saw Mill in Cuttack District under City Forest Division.
• OFDC Saw Mill at Nawarangpur under Nawarangpur Division.
• OFDC Saw Mill at Umri in Koraput District under Jeypore Division.
• Mathili Saw Mill in Malkangiri District under Malkangiri Division.
• Remed Saw Mill in Sambalpur District under Sambalpur (South) Division.
• OFDC Saw Mill at Raghunathpur in Ganjam District under Berhampur Division
• Orissa Saw Mill in Sundargarh District under Rourkela Division.
• OFDC Saw Mill, Kantabanji, Bolangir.
• OFDC Saw Mill, Muniguda, Rayagada.

In accordance with the Order dated 05.10.2015 of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in W.P. (C) No. 202/1995, T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad -Vrs- Union of India & another, a State Level Committee under the chairpersonship of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & HoFF, Odisha has been constituted vide Notification No. 15644/F&E dated 18.07.2018 of the Forest & Environment Department. The State Level Committee is functioning as per the Guidelines for Establishment & Regulation of wood based industries in the State of Odisha issued by the Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India in 2016 and its amendment 2017. The earlier Committee on rehabilitation, relocation and functioning constituted vide Notification No. 13891/F&E, dt. 30.07.2011 of Forest & Environment Department, Govt. of Odisha and the present State Level Committee have passed their decision to rehabilitate the eligible delicensed/ closed saw mills of the State in various identified/notified Industrial Estates of the State as per the provisions contained in Odisha Saw Mills and Saw Pits (Control) Act, 1991 and the Odisha Saw Mills and Saw Pits (Control) Amendment Act, 2010.

As of now, the status of private saw mills rehabilitated/functioning in the State are as follows:

The Industries Department has notified 38 Industrial Estates in 26 Revenue Districts for rehabilitation of eligible Saw Mills.

.166 nos. of private Sawmills are running in different Industrial Estate of the State.