BHUBANESWAR: Gandhamardan hill system could be the third ‘biodiversity heritage site’ in the state soon. The Odisha Biodiversity Board has sent a proposal to the state government to declare the 18,963.89 hectare threatened and ecologically sensitive landscape of the hill range in Gandhamardan reserve forest area as a ‘Biodiversity Heritage Site’ for long-term protection, conservation and management of biological resources of the hill.
Officials of the Board said they received proposals from the Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) of Nandupalla, Telenpalli, Bartunda, Mithapalli as well as proposals from DFO Balangir and Bargarh and other stakeholders to declare Gandhamardan hill as biodiversity heritage site.
Accordingly, they carried out a detailed inventory of the flora and fauna in the hill ecosystem spread over 189.639 sq km within the forest ranges of Harisankar, Lathore and Patnagarh in Balangir and Nursinghnath and Paikamal in Bargarh.
The Board has found 1,700 species of plants and animals, 1,200 species of plants and 500 species of animals, in the hill ecosystem. Around 209 trees, 135 shrubs, 473 herbs, 77 climbers and 300 species of medicinal plants have been recorded in the hill ecosystem of which 18 species are threatened and one species is endemic.
Besides, Board officials said Gandhamardan hill range is famous as ‘Ayurvedic paradise’ of Odisha’ where traditional knowledge holder have been collecting wild medicinal plants to treat different diseases and ailments. Notably, Odisha government had accorded Mahendragiri the tag of ‘biodiversity heritage site’ last month making it the second such spot in the state after Mandasaru Gorge in Kandhamal.