Forests dept submits proposal for wildlife sanctuary

Hyderabad, Mar 17 (UNI) The Forests Department has submitted its proposal for converting 117.86 sq kms of reserve forest, including some unreserved land in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts, into a wildlife sanctuary to the Andhra Pradesh government.

Addressing a press conference here today, Forests and Environment Minister S Vijayarama Raju said the proposed forest area was extended to Veeraghattam and Seethampeta mandals of Srikakulam district and Viyyamma Valasa mandal of Vizianagaram district.

It encompassed five hamlets in Srikakulam and four in Vizianagaram.

The minister said the people, who were residing in the core area of the proposed sanctuary, would be provided an attractive relocation package as per the Centre's norms.

Once the area was declared as sanctuary, the Centre would provide Rs ten lakh to each family and the state government would rehabilitate them with permanent houses, school, hospital and drinking water facility near the sanctuary, Mr Raju added.

The sanctuary would remedy the man-animal conflict in the region as about 11 people were killed here till 2008.

Local people would also be benefitted by the sanctuary as it would accelerate the development of eco-tourism in the region.

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