The debilitating heat wave sweeping across Orissa for the last one week has once again brought to focus the destruction of the forest cover in the state at an alarming rate during the last 10 years. While the state's forest area was 53,253 sq. km in 1987, it declined to 46,941 sq. km in 1997, down by 6,312 sq. km. The latest study is related to the period between 1995 and 1997, showing loss of forest cover of 166 sq. km.during these two years.To be more specific, the forest area was 47,107 sq. km in 1995, while it was reduced to 46,941