Orissa: Illumination affects elephant movements

Bhubaneswar, Apr 20: Heavy illuminations from the newly built Managament Institutes near the Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirt of the capital city have threatened the movement of elephants.

Wildlife Society of Orissa(WSO) Secretary Biswajit Mohanty has alleged that the powerful lights from the newly built Management Institute, which has come up at Godibari on the southern side of the sanctuary and the Asian School of Business Management,located within a distance of 500 meters from the Sanctuary boundary,had affected the movement of the pachyderms.

The sanctuary, spread over 198 sq.kms, has more than 60 elephants apart from other wildlife.

Mr Mohanty said as per the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002, land falling within 10 km of the boundaries of National Parks and Sanctuaries should be notified as eco-fragile areas(ESAs) under provisions of the Environment Protection Act,1986.

This has been contemplated to ensure that no man made activity which disturbs wildlife would be allowed. Based on the orders of the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has written to all states in October,2006 to identify such ESA areas.

''How could the Institute obtain permission to build such a huge campus next to the Wildlife Sanctuary despite such restriction,'' asked the WSO Secretary said.

He said powerful outdoor lights have been put up at the campus illuminating the surrounding areas to a long distance. As the light units were put up on high mast poles, they were acting as beacons clearly visible from great distances.

UNI