BHUBANESWAR: A whopping 756 villages and human habitations are located inside the protected areas of the wildlife sanctuaries in the state, a recent report of the wildlife wing of the Forest department has revealed.
The report stated that There are 19 wildlife sanctuaries in Odisha and as many as 14 continue to have human settlements inside them.
Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest 358 villages followed by 125 in Satkosia and 65 in Kotagarh. The state’s biggest tiger reserve Similipal also has 56 human settlements in its jurisdiction, while Baisipalli in Nayagarh has 62 villages. Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary,a proposed tiger reserve, also has 26 villages, while Badrama has 27 and Karlapat 19.
Kapilash and Khalasuni wildlife sanctuaries have one village each within their protected areas while Hadgarh has two and Chandaka three.
Puri, Chilika, Gahirmatha, Nandankanan and Debrigarh are the only five wildlife sanctuaries that do not have human settlements anymore. Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, which has received NTCA’s in-principle approval as a tiger-reserve, was made free from human settlements only last year.
Between 1994-95 and 2023-24, the Forest department has relocated 1,857 families from different villages in Similipal, Satkosia, Debrigarh, Hadagarh and Khalasuni. There is a proposal for voluntary relocation of about 1,287 families in villages located within Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh and Chandaka-Dampara sanctuary this year.
As per the report, the revised financial assistance from 2021-22 onwards, in which the state government offered Rs 5 lakh per family extra aid in addition to the Rs 15 lakh towards rehabilitation package, helped in the relocation of at least 963 families from Satkosia, Similipal, Hadgarh and Debrigarh.
The move helped in relocation of 270 families from Tulka, 88 from Asanbahal and 126 from Bhurkundi village in Satkosia Tiger Reserve in 2023-24.
Forest officials said residents of all the 756 villages from the protected areas will also be persuaded to move out gradually. Those willing to voluntarily relocate will be facilitated the same benefits and the areas vacated will be developed to supplement the conservation of the wildlife habitats.