BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to scale up management activities in Similipal Biosphere Reserve to protect it against increasing human depredations. Included in Unesco’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves, the massive protected area has been in the news for all wrong reasons - from rampant poaching to presence of Left-wing extremists - of late. Recently, the then Union Environment and Forests minister Jairam Ramesh had asked the State Government to strengthen protection measures for the unique biodiversity hotspot. Similipal Biosphere Reserve spreads over 5,569 sq km with 1,194.75 sq km as its core and 1,335.86 sq km as buffer zone. The rest 3,038.39 sq km comes under the transitional zone. It also has the largest natural watershed of northern Orissa which feeds 10 perennial streams draining into major rivers like the Budhabalanga, the Baitarani and the Subarnarekha. The biosphere is also acknowledged as a biodiversity hotspot with 1,076 plant, 55 mammal, 304 bird, 20 amphibian, 62 reptile, 37 fish and 179 butterfly and 217 invertebrate species. Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik, who chaired the Similipal Biosphere Reserve Management Council meeting here on Friday, directed the Forest and Environment Department to scale up livelihood support projects for providing alternative livelihood to people so as to reduce their dependency on forest. Sources in the Forest Department said various approaches have been drawn up for management of core, buffer and transitional zones. For the core zone, thrust has been on protection and wildlife management, while for the buffer area, emphasis will be on eco-development. Similarly, awareness on eco-development and development of eco-tourism will be the thrust area for transitional zone. Under the Management Action Plan submitted in the last 15 years, the State has received ` 5.63 crore from the Centre with an annual average of ` 37.58 lakh. The meeting revealed that the Government has taken up 30 units of dairy farming in Baripada Division besides two units of rubber plantation and apiary cultivation in Karanjia Division. Besides, pisciculture and mushroom cultivation have also been taken up in Rairangpur Division so that people living on the fringes of the biosphere reserve do not exert pressure on Similipal. Secretary, Forest and Environment, Aurobindo Behera and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests PN Padhi were present.
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