BHUBANESWAR: In view of the growing incidents of man-animal conflict in Odisha, the Government on Tuesday formed a State level task force under the chairmanship of principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Harishankar Upadhyay for preparation of a master plan during the next three years.Announcing the formation of the task force, Minister for Forest and Environment Bikram Keshari Arukha said that it has been asked to submit a report within six weeks.
Referring to the importance given by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for reducing incidents of man-animal conflict in the State, Arukha said that it is essential to prioritise the activities and streamline different government interventions so that funds under different schemes are spent as per this master plan. In addition to the funds available under different schemes under site specific wildlife plans for forest diversion cases, the Minister said and added that funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, MGNREGS, District Mineral Foundation (DMF) can be effectively utilised for habitat development, digging of trenches and other protective measures.
The Minister said that DFOs will have standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Railways, National and State Highway authorities, Water Resources department, Electricity distribution companies with an institutional arrangement of regular monitoring and review at the circle, district and division level.
Representatives of South Eastern Railways and East Coast Railways, chief executive officers of TPCODL, WESCO, NESCO and SOUTHCO and members from engineering departments will be part of the task force. The task force can induct any other individual as its member or consult any individual /institution for preparation of the master plan, he said.