Action plan for Simlipal Bio Reserve to reduce intrusion

Baripada, Sep 01 (UNI) An ambitious new action plan has been mooted to reduce human intrusion in the Simlipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR), encompassing a total area of 5,589 square kms.

SBR sources today said UNESCO's Man and Biosphere(MAB) objective had prescribed that each reserve should have a 'Core Area' to be preserved in a natural state and a 'buffer zone' to conduct manipulative studies.

There are four villages in the core area, 57 in the buffer zone and 1200 in the transitional zone of the SBR with a population of nearly five lakh living in these villages, sources added.

Simlipal is one of the 425 biosphere reserves set up in 95 countries under UNESCO's MAB (Man and Biosphere) programme and the only one in Orissa and one of the 14 biosphere reserves in India.

Precisely, the MAB programme was aimed at increasing our understanding of the eco-systems and human impacts on their dynamics, sources said.

SBR-cum-Conservation of forests, officer, Baripada Circle, R Nagaraja Reddy said Rs two crore action plan has been prepared to reduce the human intrusion in the reserve and to preserve the natural resources with people's co-operation.

The primitive tribes who would be benefited from the action plan include Hill Khadias, Hill Mankadias, Bhumija, Bathudis, Kolha, Gonda and the Santhals, Mr Reddy informed.

As per the action plan, an eco-development strategy has been formulated to promote and strengthen bio-diversity by addressing the felt-needs of the local stakeholders in consonance with the principles of sustainable management of the eco-system through livelihood alternatives, Mr Reddy added.

Such an action plan would provide for a long term conservation of the genetic diversity, promotion of basic and applied research works and its monitoring and dissemination of experiences for educational training, Mr Reddy stated.

The plan formulated for 2008-09 is awaiting the nod from the union ministry of Environment and Forests and would be implemented on receipt of the clearence, SBR sources said.

According to him steps were initiated for the protection of forests from illicit felling of trees, prevention and control of forest ground fires and grazing, prevention of poaching of wild animals, eco-development activities, enriching socio-economic condition of the people and development of eco-tourism.

UNI XC DP RH SS1420