BHUBANESWAR: In the wake of the Centre proposing to declare Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ), Wild Orissa has demanded inclusion of the buffer zone in the said category. The outfit, working for conservation of nature and wildlife, said non-declaration of the buffer zone as ecologically vulnerable, would lead to reckless commercial activities like mining in the name of development and endanger wildlife in the process.
According to outfit members, the buffer zone serves as a crucial elephant corridor for elephant population of Kotagarh Sanctuary, Kandhamal and Lakhari Valley Sanctuary, Gajapati. However, elephants have been forced to live in fragmented habitats due to extended farmlands and encroachments. Habitat degradation has triggered steady decline of carnivores in the forest.
Increased cases of man-elephant conflict has only compounded the problem, they said adding that the southern fringe of Karlapat is also a critical habitat for many terrestrial orchids like Pecteilis gigantea, Habenaria grandifloriformis, Peristylus goodyeroides, Nervilia plicata and the recently discovered Habenaria barbata.
The members pointed out that buffer area on the southern part of the sanctuary has not been included in the proposed eco-sensitive zone as the Government has allowed exploration of bauxite from three blocks, to a firm.