Odisha Embarks On Biodiversity Protection To Halt Climate Change

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Odisha's forest, environment and climate change ministry has embarked upon to stave off the impacts of climate change by taking a number of measures for protection of biodiversity. As many as 7256 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) have been formed under State Biodiversity Boards(SSBs) to involve all the stakeholders in the state to work for protection of environment and conservation of flora and fauna.

The BMCs have been formed in the state in accordance with the regimen of the Biodiversity Law as amended in 2023.  The sole duty of the BMCs is to carry out documentation and protection of biodiversity in village levels. Odisha has 57, 160 sqkm of forest cover which accounts for nearly 36.71 percent of its total geographical area.

This amendment has ensured that in order to protect and preserve biodiversity, there must be a balance  between conservation, commercial use and the rights of community. The earlier laws relating to Biodiversity in 2002 and 2004 have either been scrapped or changed to match present requirements relating to  biotechnology, traditional medicine and environmental conservation. The amendment of 2023 has taken enough safeguards to protect the biodiversity without unmindful exploitation in the name of research. The community based  knowledge systems in the villages have been given due importance for protection of the rich biodiversity of the state.

The main thrust of the Biodiversity Law 2023(Amendment) is that it put emphasis protection of the rights of local communities who are virtual reservoirs of traditional knowledge for saving habitats from contamination and environmental pollution. The people who live in close proximity to forest know how to get the benefit from mother earth. The law prohibits Indian pharmaceutical companies and research organizations not to exploit precious forest resources in the name of experimentation. It also encourages use of biological resources for research and commercial purposes as long as the whole exercise is undertaken in a fair manner.    

Ayurveda has been given due importance and this is quite encouraging for companies to undertake research and innovations in this sector.

The Biodiversity Law 2023 has ensures that there will be little exploitation of  country's rich biodiversity as well as the traditional knowledge system as followed by the communities living in the remote villages who  are thriving in nature's bounty. The State Biodiversity Board has said that Odisha is a home to 5174 plants and species including coral reefs and mangroves. There are 19 species found in the state who live in land and water. There are nearly 110 species of reptiles including crocodiles, 473 species of birds and 86 species of mammals that thrive in the natural habitats in the state.

The state is also enjoying the nature's bounty in different biodiversity regions such as Mandasaru, Mahendragiri, Gandhamardhan, Gupteswar, Similipal and Satkosia forest. This apart several forest locations like Mandaragiri hillock and mountains replete with herbal species in Pallahara forest in Angul district are widely acclaimed as biodiversity regions which attract researchers from home and abroad to study nature and the natural habitats where flora and fauna are found.

Forest, environment and climate change minister Ganeshram Singh Khuntia has urged the environmental activists, community based institutions working for protection of the environment and all the stakeholders of the society to spread awareness among the people to protect and preserve biodiversity for staving off the dangerous consequences of climate change which most parts of the planet earth including Odisha has been experiencing. He said production of several seasonal fruits like mango in the state has gone down drastically due to the adverse impact of climate change. The minister, while addressing a gathering in Bhubaneswar recently during observance of World Biodiversity Day, exhorted the BMCs to reach out to the communities in the remote locations of the state to spread the message of awareness for protection of biodiversity.

Additional Chief Secretary Satyabrata Sahu, who attended the occasion urged the State Biodiversity Board to organize the youths to come forward for the establishment of a better world through sustainable development of natural resources. He further urged the youths to work for the reclamation of lost natural habitats through afforestation.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Suresh Pant and PCCF(Wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha also urged the people to contribute their bit, howsoever liitle might be, for protection and conservation of biodiversity for a healthy society.

Meanwhile, Satkosia Wildlife Division in Angul has prepared a comprehensive plan to give a feel of nature to the tourists, both home and abroad, with the arrangement of Safaris. The Safari trips will help the tourists and nature lovers to move deep into the forest, get a glimpse of the wildlife and enjoy natural surrounding breathing plenty of oxygen, forest officials of Angul wildlife division said. They said the department is also planning to arrange for homestays at Jagannathpur and Purunakote villages located inside Satkosia wildlife divisioon to provide the tourists a taste of village life. They said they were trying to make arrangement for those tourists who mostly hail from metropolitan cities overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of city life.

The Nature Camps at Tarava, Chhotkei , Tikarapada and Baghamunda in Satkosia wildlife division in Angul has been attracting a huge number of tourists from home and abroad and this arrangement has proved to be a big hit among the nature lovers. The proposed Safari trips will be in addition to Nature Camps facilities, the officials said.

Meaning Of Biodiversity

The entire ecosystem like forests, oceans and grasslands that embraces different forms of life on the planet is simply known as biodiversity. The biodiversity also includes different species of plant, animals and even micro organisms.

Kinds Of Biodiversity

Biodiversity can be categorized as genetic biodiversity, specieis biodiversity and ecosystem biodiversity. By genetic diversity we mean genes within a species like types of rice or cereals. The best examples of species biodiversity are different wildlife species like jumbos, tigers and various insects. The third category is ecosystem biodiversity that include varieties of ecosystems such as forest, desert, grassland and coral reefs and mangroves.

Why Biodiversity Is Important For Mankind?

Biodiversity is a gift of nature to us for sustenance and without this we can't get  food and nutrition like vegetables, fruits and crops. It gives us air and water through lush green forest and waterbodies. It is unthinkable to get or prepare a number of drugs from nature which we get from herbal plants and animals also. In addition to this, the mother earth's ecological balance and climate control mechanism are also maintained by a vibrating biodiversity.

There are several threats to biodiversity such as denudation of forest resources, massive industrialization which contaminate air, water and the ambient atmosphere and last but not the least is destruction of natural habitats through poaching of illicit felling of trees.

Can We Protect Biodiversity?

Yes, definitely we can, provided we have the willpower and positive mind. But, we must draw a line between industrialization and environment. Air, water and environmental pollution has to be minimized and sustainable management of farming should be undertaken on a massive scale to protect biodiversity. Village forests, reserved forest with herbal plants and wildlife sanctuaries housing endangered species are key to sustainable management of the environment. The non-biodegradable  substances like plastic has to banned for a better dose of biodiversity.

Gunrunning Racket Busted: Country Made Rifles Used For Poaching, Ganja Trade In Angul District

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Angul police have successfully busted a gunrunning racket in Khamar, Pallahara, Athamallik, Tacher and Kaniha regions with the arrest of four persons. The district police formed a special team to locate and nab the culprits involved in gunrunning racket after a number of shooting incidents in Kishorenagar and Chhendipada in the recent past for settling scores and poaching of wildlife species in Angul forest locations  and facilitating ganja trade Chendipada region in which country made guns were used.

Police sources said the special team, after getting feedback from reliable sources that country rifles were freely available in some parts of the district at a throwaway price, raided Beherabhuin, Kashinathpur, Sunakhani and other villages in Kaniha, Athamallik and Talcher areas and seized barrels, rods, strikers and other parts required for manufacturing guns.

During the operation the police have also gathered that country made guns and pistols were clandestinely manufactured in Pallahara areas and sold at a price as low as Rs 5000 per piece to buyers who are into poaching and other illegal activities. Local media reports said that although the district police claimed to have successfully busted the gunrunning racket in Angul district, this is only a tip of the iceberg. The police need to go deep into such a crime and bring to book their kingpins who are believed to be operating from different states like Bihar and West Bengal and their connections goes beyond Indian borders, the media reports said.

Police sources said a special drive is underway by the district police under the direct supervision of Superintendent of Police Rahul Jain following a number of reports of shooting incidents in Kishorenagar and Chhendipada regions in the recent past and poaching of elephants and other wildlife species in Angul and other forest ranges in Angul district. The sources further said the special team of the district police is working in cohesion with the local forest wing to put up a joint front to tackle poaching menace in different forest ranges where poachers have oflate become active to kill elephants, wildboars, antelopes and other endangered species in reserved forest and Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary.

The wildlife sanctuary is a home to a large number of elephants and other endangered species like bison and antelopes. Odisha forest,environment and climate change department is actively working on the details of converting the wildlife sanctuary to a Tiger habitat. As part of the measure, a number of villages like Raiguda, Chhotkei, Tulka and other villages located in the core areas of Satkosia, are either being shifted or relocated elsewhere for such purpose.

The recent heinous incident involving the killing of a Forester in Hindol in the adjoining Dhenkanal district has established the fact that poachers are on a rampage and they can go to any extent and would not mind eliminating patrolling forest staff if given resistance. The poachers fired upon Forester Prahallad Pradhan and killed him on the spot who along with his staff was on patrol duty to nab the culprits after getting reports that a gang of four poachers were sharing the booty (the meat) after killing a wildlife species. Pradhan was heading a 13-member patrol party in that fateful night of May 23 in Sarasinga village at Tantichira jungle in Hindol range. The poachers after seeing the forest patrol party approaching them immediately opened shots hitting the Forester in the abodomen injuring him severely. Pradhan was immediately shifted to the district headquarters hospital at Angul but doctors declared him dead. The patrol staff nabbed three of the four poachers.

Pradhan, who served the forest department for 16 years with an excellent track record, was honoured as the best Forester in 2025 at a state level function in Bhubaneswar recently.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his deep condolences to the bereaved family and vowed to come down heavily on the poachers. He said the perpetrators will not be allowed to move freely and go unpunished. Majhi announced Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the family. Odisha forest,environment and climate change minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia who rushed to Kamakhyanagar to express his condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased Forester at his house, said the government has taken a serious note of such heinous incident and added that a proposal to provide arms to the patrolling forest staff is under active consideration of the government.

Regional Chief Conservator of Forest (RCCF) Sanjay Kumar Swain said the forest official will not be cowed down by the threat of poachers and timber mafia and added that every possible measures will be taken to protect the patrolling staff. Swain said protecting forest and its species are the prime responsibilities of the forest staff and gun-totting mafias will be taught a lesson at the earliest.

Reports said Chhendipada region has become a safe haven for ganja traders who are armed with country made rifles and lethal weapons to react immediately in the event of being nabbed by the police or excise officials. Vast tracts of forest region in Chhendipada block in Angul district have been forcibly acquired by the mafia who are linked to syndicates in other states and possibly neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal as sneaking into their territories are relatively easier, sources who did not want to be named said. Excise officials in Angul said tones of ganja plants were set afire after seizure to discourage trading of the contraband.

 

Odisha Still Awaits Elephant Corridor Management Plan To Reduce Jumbo-Man Tussle

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Odisha has 14 elephant corridors, which are mostly used by jumbos for moving to different forest locations,  known to us as their migration routes. However, the Odisha forest and environment department has allegedly not taken appropriate measures to protect these corridors for the safe passage of the world's largest living animals.

These corridors are snapped by human habitation, railway lines, highways and high tension overhead  electric lines that pose danger to the animals. The elephants are often prone to attacks by people living in the areas close to the corridors. Moving vehicles and trains also pose serious threat to their lives. These elephant corridors are fragmented beyond repair, the environmentalist said and added that the government of the day must prepare a comprehensive plan of action to set right the issue. They said construction of underpasses beneath highways and railway lines should be taken up on a war footing to ensure a hassle free passage for the pachyderms.

The Elephant Corridor signboard put up by Angul forest division in Odisha to aware the passers by for staying away from the migration route of the jumbos 

As the elephant corridors have been snapped by mindless construction in and around the passage, the pachyderms have no other go than to intrude into human habitation and therefore the elephant-man conflict goes on.

It is worth mentioning here that, in the past two years, as many as 40 live were lost and scrores injured following attack by elephants in Angul-Talcher and Dhenkanal regions of Odisha that houses most jumbos in the state. The elephant population in Angul forest division has been increasing in the past few years, according to the officials of the forest wing. The elephant-man tussle has become day to day affair  as marauding tuskers go on rampage in several villages in Angul forest division forcing people to stay indoors even during day. Jumbos prefer to stay in herds in some villages like Saharagoda, Dhokuta, Saradhapur and Purnagarh under Angul forest division where village forests are mostly found. And, this has become a bane for the denizens of the regions. The villagers of the above mentioned areas said the wild elephants wreak havoc in their locality destroying their farming and houses at night and the menace continued till dawn.

People in Nuakheta, Talagarh and Bargaunia in Angul district said they are living in constant fear as jumbos roam in their mango orchards all along the night to eat magoes. They have completely devastated their orchards, the villagers said and added that the wild herds have hit hard on their sustenance as during mango season they earn money by selling the fruits in the local markets. They lamented that this year they have not dared to go their orchards and collect mangoes as herds of elephants raom freely there.

Social activist working for conservation of wildlife sepecies in Angul district said as the migration has been hindered, the elephants have been forced to remain in a particular forest region for long and it is natural they run out of food. The jumbos have other alternative than to barge into human habitation where they get food, the activists added.

They said as by nature elephants are migratory and cannot move due to hindrances, it is quite natural that they become irritated and go on rampage in villages attacking people on their way.  

A few years ago a Corridor Management Plan was prepared by Odisha government, but till date no action was taken in this regard. A report said concerned Divisional Forest Officers(DFOs) were entrusted with the responsibililty to carry out a plan of action for corridor management and thereby reduce elephant-man conflict in vulnerable forest regions in the state. But, little was known about the fate of the corridor management plan.

 

Angul Oustees Get Raw Deal Due To Industries' Apathy

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Rapid industrialisation in Angul district has created a number of issues for the people, the most distressing being the displacement. The Regional Periphery Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) meeting through which the oustees should get relief by putting forth their grievances before the administration, elected people's representatives and the government of the day as well, has sadly failed to do justice for several reasons, the foremost being its irregularity of sittings.

The RPDAC meeting is supposed to be convenened every three months by the district administration, but months and years pass by, and none bothers why discussions of the oustees' problems are set aside inhumanly. However, after the change of government a year ago, the Mohan Majhi Government in Bhubaneswar has taken some insights to the displacement issue in Angul district. And as a result of this, the 14th RPDAC meeting was held in February this year at Angul in which Northern Division Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) Ramachandra Yadav, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Dhenkanal MP Rudranarayan Pani, Talcher MLA Brajakishore Pradhan and panchayatiraj institution members of different regions of Talcher region attended.

Although Angul District Collector A M Akhtar informed that the RPDAC meet did take up as many as 18 nagging issues relating to displacement, employment and compensations in Talcher and Kaniha regions in which Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has acquired their home and hearth for mining, villagers of Goplaprasad alleged that the mining authorities have not yet given employment opportunities to the displaced families nor any compensation as promised earlier.

An Open Cast Mine In Talcher Region, Angul District

It is worthwhile to mention that people belonging to Gopalprasad in Talcher block had forcibly stopped mining activities in Hingula mines for several days recently protesting the alleged apathetic attitude of MCL which always promises them the moon but in reality this is an eyewash.

The District Mineral Fund (DMF), which is set up with the financial contribution of different mining, steel, captive power plants and other ancillary industries for spending on peripheral development of  indusrial hotspots like Angul and Talcher region in Odisha, has failed to serve its purpose. Environmental workers fighting for the ecology of region alleged that contribution to DMF has been piling up over the years but precious little has been done so far for the infrastructure development of the region. They said the DMF has a deposit of over Rs 500cr with some fractions of proceeds of the industries, but most of the fund is lying idle due to lack of vision by the district administration as well as the elected representatives who have failed to urge the former to implement projects for the benefit of people living close to mining and industrial set ups.

The MCL is allegedly shying away from its responsibility for providing clean drinking water in the mining regions of Talcher and Kaniha regions in Angul district. Womenfolks in the region have to trudge miles to get a few buckets of potable water from streams, but most of the time they fail to get water due to scorching environment. The small rivers and streams and either dried up or their water not fit for consumption due to contamination, social activists working in the area alleged.

How Independent Was Indian Mainstream Media During Operation Sindoor?

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

No body will deny that Operation Sindoor, which was carried out by Indian special forces to avenge Pehelgam massacre by targeting suspected hideouts of terrorists in Pakistan, though served the purpose of giving a clear message to the sparring neighbour Pakistan that terrorism will not be tolerated any more, it brutally exposed the Indian mainstream media's misinformation campaign throughout the exercise.

The India TV channels were frenzied enough to claim that its military had captured Pak Occupied Kashmir during the operation. Several old footage of foreign war were allegedly shown on TV to substantiate the false claim. The Pakistani media outlets also matched their Indian counterparts by spreading the rumour that their military had given a fitting response by dowing several Indian jets including newly acquired Rafael.

The misinformation misled the public of both the countries that resulted in panic buying and people fleeing the border regions fearing casualties. It is still a mystery why the ceasefire was declared in a hurry and why Pakistan broke it after few hours of it coming into force. More puzzling was US President Donals Trump's X post in which he mentioned that he brokered a deal with India and Pakistan for a ceasefire claiming that he himself had mediated. He also put both India and Pakistan on equal footing saying that both are great nations depite the fact the latter indulging in terrorism and killing innocent people for decades.

India was virtually left alone during the exercise as countries like Nepal, Bhutan, SriLanka, Maldives which always sided with this country during thick and thin, did not come forward to rally behind the government of the day. Their governments only issued bland statements advising both the warring nations to resolve the issue amicably and exercise utmost restraint during the exercise.

The role of UN was not upto the mark as it showed lackluster interest in India's interest during the whole exercise.

The opposition parties in India have demanded convening of a special session of parliament to discuss about the issues that cropped up during Operation Sindoor and the mediation by US. The Shimla Agreement has laid down that the Kashmir issue must be resolved through bilateral discussion and a third paty mediation would not be entertained at any cost. 

Number Of Farmers On Decline In Angul District

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The number of farmers are on the decline in Angul district giving an indication that people have lost their interest in agricultural activities.

District Agriculture Office sources said 46304 farmers have registered their names for selling paddy to the government this year. The number of peasants who have registered their names for this purpose last year was 48968. If one is to go by the statistics, then in 2021-22 the number was 39195, in 2022-23 the number rose to 44,101. The District Agriculture Office sources futher said that there was a tremendous increase in the number of farmers in the district during the past three years, but this year there was less number of registration of peasants with the office.

This was not immediately know why the number of farmers in the district has come down drastically despite a favourable monsoon this year which has ensured a bumper crop harvest. However, when contacted, a number of farmers in Sankhapur, Bantala and other area in Angul district, said elephant menace in the region has dissuaded them from agriculture activity. The jumbos have been destroying their crop over the years, and therefore, they have decided not to undertake cultivation, the farmers added.

Reports from Mahidharpur under Banarpal block in Angul district said that a horde of elephant headed by deadly tuskers have been rampaging paddy fields in the past few months leaving the agrarian community scratching their heads. The farmers have alleged that the forest officials are doing nothing to drive away the marauding jumbos to forest locations.

Local environmentalists although admitted that the elephant issue is somewhat responsible for decline in the number of farmers, rapid industrialization has also to be blamed for such a scenario. They reasoned thast contamination of air,water and soil in Angul district has adversely affected agriculture production in most parts. The rivers like Brahmani has been polluted due to discharge of effluents from smoke belching thermal power plants, aluminium industries and other ancillary units located in the district.

     

Elephant-Man Tussle Toll Rises To 162 In Angul-Dhenkanal Districts In 4 Yrs

By  SANTOSH MOHANTY

The elephant-man conflict in Angul and Dhenkanal districts is showing no signs of respite even as the forest wings of respective districts have claimed that they have been doing their best to scale down the death toll to minimal.

The Union Government has recently admitted that the elephant-man tussle has escalated in the past four years in Angul and Dhenkanal districts of Odisha. In response to a question posed by Dhenkanal MP Rudra Narayan Pany in Parliament, Union Forest and Environment minister Kirti Vardhan Singh, said as many as 162 persons have died following jumbo attack in the four years.

The Union minister said that 31 elephants have died in the same period in these two districts of Odisha and added that the government is doing every thing possible to put an end to elephant-man conflict.

Community based organizations working in Angul and Dhenkanal districts said to minimize the conflict between the largest mammals and humanbeings,  Pany should not limit his responsibilities as a people's representative only to put questions on elephant-man conflict in Parliament, rather it is obligatory for him to visit those regions in these districts to talk to people to discuss about strategies the government must take for driving out the jumbos to forest and save the people and their property.

They said the government, particularly the forest department of Odisha, must come forward with strategies to scale down such occurances at a time when the number of jumbos is increasing in these two districts. The elephant census has confirmed that the jumbo population in Angul and Dhenkanal districts are on the rise.

As the harvesting time in Odisha is drawing near, the agrarian community of the state, particularly in Angul and Dhenkanal districts, is apprehensive that pachyderms might go on rampage destroying crops. They are helpless, peasants in Mahidharpur, Banarpal, Bantala, Sabalbhanga, Sankhapur, Nuakheta, Pokatunga and Madhupur said, and added that the local forest staff burst crackers to drive the elephant away. But, this is not a permanent solution to the issue, the farmers said.

The farmers did not appreciate the so-called intellectuals who conduct Gaja Utsav and seminars on elephant-man conflict in five star hotels rather than discussing the issue with villagers to find out solutions who are the real victims. The forest officials in Angul and Dhenkanal forest divisions have experimented with honey bees to drive out the jumbos from human habitation, but this effort has not become frutful. They have been experimenting with solar fencing, setting up sirens in villages close to forest and high mast lights along elephant corridors to reduce elephant-man conflict, but to no avail, the villagers said.

The affected villagers in Bantala, Baluakata, Pateli, Sankhapur and Pokatunga said they have relied upon Angul MLA Pratap Chandra Pradhan to come to their rescue and find out a lasting solution to the issue, but he has ditched them. The harvesting time is on, the villagers said, but their MLA is busy attending meetings in air conditioned halls to speak hours on jumbo issue. He only talks, but fails to take measures to reduce the impact of elephant-man conflict, the villagers alleged.