BHUBANESWAR: The entire area of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), fourth largest tiger habitat in the country, has not been accorded national park status as it is yet to be freed from human settlement.
As per the criteria of the Centre, an area to be accorded the status of national park must be free from human habitation and movement of domestic animals. Out of the total area of 2306.61 sq km, only 845.70 sq km area of the sanctuary has been declared as national park. An area of 1194.75 sq km was notified as core critical tiger habitat in 2007.
“Presence of human habitation is the primary reason for which the entire TR has not been able to meet the criteria set by the government for national park status,” Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha informed the State Assembly.
There are six villages in the core critical area of Similipal of which Jenabil, Jamunagada, Kabatghai and Bakua are revenue villages. The other two - Barahkamuda and Bahaghar - are settlement villages.
So far, Jenabil, Kabatghai, Barahakamuda and Bahaghar and 46 families of Jamunagada have been relocated from the core area.
As many as 61 families in Bakua and another three families of Jamunagarha continue to inhabit. The Similipal Tiger Conservation Plan 2014 had stated presence of 65 villages in buffer area of the TR. Of this, 189 families of two villages, 79 families of Kiajhari and 110 families of Khajuraho village have been shifted. The Minister said the State government revised relocation guidelines earlier this year to speed up relocation.