Blackbuck and turtle protection programme begin

Berhampur (Orissa), Feb 11 (PTI) Protection of theendangered blackbuck and Olive Ridley turtles by involving thelocal people in Ganjam district, is likely to get a boost as ajoint project of the Centre and United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) was launched here today.

Rajya Sabha member Renubala Prdhan in presence ofsenior wildlife and forest officials inaugurated here aworkshop to mark the inception of the project.

UNDP initiated community-based conservation (CBC) ofnatural resources out side protected areas on pilot basis inthe state. Besides Orissa, the UN body has also taken upsimilar projects on pilot basis in Madhya Pradesh.

Under the project, the state will get around Rs 50lakh this year for improvement of the habitats of the animalsand development of the infrastructure facilities insurrounding villages, where the people actively involved inprotecting them.

The state government has submitted a proposal of Rsone crore to the UNDP for implementation of the pilot projectin Ganjam, where the local people have been protecting theblackbuck and Olive Ridley sea turtles for last several years.

"The venture is on a pilot basis and is likely to becontinued further depending upon the success of the project,"principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) P N Padhysaid. .