BHUBANESWAR : Alleging gross irregularities in management of Mangalajodi nature camp run by Forest department, local villagers have kept the tourism facility locked since the beginning of this month.
They have also launched a protest seeking handover of the project to the local eco-development committee (EDC).
The Mangalajodi GP leaders alleged that though the Chilika Wildlife Division granted permission for formation of the EDC on September 28, it is not allowing registration of the committee. They claimed that the Forest department, after managing the community-based project on its own for years, is now planning to hand it over to a self-help group.
“This is illegal and not acceptable as the department during a meeting held at the camp in January 2021 had decided to form an EDC and hand over management of the facility to the same committee, that too within a period of 10 days,” the GP leaders said.
Touted as the ‘Birds’ Paradise of Asia’, Mangalajodi located on the north-eastern part of Chilika lagoon, draws millions of migratory birds during winters making it a tourist hotspot during the season. Winter witnesses the highest gathering of around four to five lakh resident and migratory birds. Mangalajodi is the only place in the country where large flocks of different species of colourful birds can be seen in close proximity of a boat.
To tap into the tourism potential of the area and create employment opportunities for locals, the Forest department had in 2019 operationalised the nature camp with 12 luxury (AC) cottages on a hill slope.
Mangalajodi sarpanch Manas Ranjan Samantray warned the district administration of intensifying their protest further threatening to dig a freshwater pond in front of the nature camp if their demand is not met.
While senior forest officials remained tight-lipped on the matter, Chilika Wildlife divisional forest officer (DFO) Amlan Nayak said they are trying to resolve the matter at the earliest.
