Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has requested the intervention of the Centre to tackle forest fires in Odisha, which has recorded the highest number of “large” forest fires in India in the past week. Pradhan has urged Union Forest and Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav to convene a meeting of officials from the Forest Ministry and state government to take urgent measures to contain the incidents. Odisha has recorded 871 large forest fires since November 2022, which is a national record for the season. The prolonged dry spell and accumulation of inflammable materials have led to large-scale forest fires across the state. Pradhan emphasised the need for coordinated efforts and a long-term plan for prevention and mitigation of forest fires in Odisha.