BHUBANESWAR: Wild Orissa has demanded that forests under Brahmagiri Forest Range be notified under the Wildlife Protection Act given their rich fauna and flora as well as stress exerted by the growing development activities to arrest the decay.
Although it was rich in all forms of bio-diversity once, from tiger to marine life, the natural environment of Puri district has been adversely affected over the last few decades pushing several species to the brink of extinction.
A status survey of the floral wealth of Brahmagiri forests was carried out by Wild Orissa during 2012 and 2013 in association with Botany Department of SCS College, Puri which revealed that there are some rare and exotic species still in existence.
Similarly, a wide range of faunal species like flying fox, striped hyena and a rich variety of birds is also found in the forests of Brahmagiri. Some of the critically endangered species like Olive Ridley, Fishing Cat, Burmese Python also inhabit the area.
The rich biodiversity of this forest calls for better conservation and management and there is an immediate need to protect these non-protected areas and bring these forests under the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act 1972, secretary of Wild Orissa Monalisa Bhujabal said.
Wild Orissa, which has launched a series of protection and conservation measures in Puri, has demanded that an 89-sq km area comprising major forests under Forest Department control and protected reserved forests be notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary or Community Reserve/Conservation Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Green Move
■ Natural environment of Puri has been adversely affected and several species pushed to the brink of extinction
■ A survey revealed that there are some rare and exotic species still in existence in Brahmagiri
