A fire that ignited in Chilika Lake, situated in Odisha’s Khordha district, was successfully doused on Saturday after several hours of rigorous effort by fire service and wildlife management teams, officials said.
The fire spread rapidly through dry Phragmites patches – known locally as Nala grass – before responders from the Khordha and Puri districts successfully contained the blaze through a coordinated firefighting operation.
Although the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, wildlife authorities suspect that miscreants may have set the dry grass alight within the ecologically fragile area of the lake.
Amlan Nayak, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) for the Chilika Wildlife Division, said that such fire hazards are a recurring challenge in the region, exacerbated by the presence of dry vegetation and human interference.
“In Chilika, the typical fire hazard occurs in Phragmites patches, locally called Nala grass. Human activity and dry grass make these areas prone to fire, which spreads quickly and is hard to control,” Nayak said.
He said that wildlife personnel maintain constant, 24-hour surveillance of the lake, using boats, foot patrols, and vehicles to ensure they can respond immediately to any fire-related emergencies.
“These patches are vital habitats for fishing cats and nesting birds, so special care is taken to protect them,” he said.
Nayak further said that fire control operations were intensified immediately after the blaze was reported, and teams worked for hours to prevent its spread.
“In a recent incident, fire teams from Khordha and Puri districts contained the blaze, with drone surveys confirming no major damage beyond burnt grass. No animals were harmed,” he added.
Following the suppression of the fire, officials conducted aerial monitoring using drones to survey the impact. The assessment revealed that the damage was confined strictly to the scorched grass, with no broader environmental destruction recorded.
