BHUBANESWAR: Two critical points of Satkosia Tiger Reserve have been left with zero eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) in the fresh proposal, which is with the state government for its consideration.
The draft ESZ plan has also proposed just 1 km ESZ boundary on all directions - except on northwest side - of the tiger reserve which has long struggled with human settlements and resultant conflict in its core and buffer zones.
The draft proposal of the Forest department, submitted to the Revenue department for review, specifies a 532.31 sq km ESZ around the tiger reserve, comprising Satkosia gorge sanctuary and Baisipalli wildlife sanctuary over an area of around 1,136.70 square km.
It proposes the extent of ESZ boundary from the protected area boundary of Satkosia TR to be zero near the urban settlements at Athamallik NAC and the Baliput-Orasingha segment along the bank of Mahanadi river. At both these points, the draft of the proposal reasons, the ESZ is zero due to livelihood and development activities. Experts believe this may leave the tiger habitat vulnerable to unrestrained development activities on its immediate boundary.
The draft recommends the extent of ESZ on the east, north, northeast, south, southeast, west and southwest side of the tiger reserve to be just 1 km. Northwest side, that includes Taleipathar reserve forest, Nuagaon reserve forest and Purunapani forest, is the only side of the tiger reserve where the extent of ESZ is up to 14.6 km.
Satkosia is the second tiger reserve of the state. After it lost all its big cats, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) carried out a tiger supplementation programme which ended in a disaster in 2018-19. Of the pair brought in from Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh, the male perished in a poacher’s snare while the tigress was held in captivity after it had several encounters with the villagers leading to multiple human casualties. Eventually, it was sent back home where it ended up in a zoo.
In the past, the ESZ proposals for Satkosia have remained stuck because the government has not been able to comply with the details sought by the expert appraisal committee.
The decision to exclude two points of the tiger reserve from the ESZ - on the grounds of their proximity to urban settlements - also runs contrary to government’s efforts of creating more inviolate space in the habitat by relocating villages from the core and buffer zones. The draft proposal claims there are 204 villages in the ESZ zone.
The protected area has a significant elephant population and an important habitat for two endangered species of freshwater crocodilians - gharial and mugger - and hosts a sizeable population of gaur, sambar, chowsingha, barking deer, mouse deer and giant squirrel including, leopard and sloth bear. Some rare and endangered species of birds and butterflies are also seen in Satkosia.
A forest official admitted that leaving two points of the tiger reserve with no ESZ boundary could pose threat to Satkosia from unchecked urban expansion that may result in increased human-wildlife conflict. The ESZ usually acts as a shock absorber, regulating human activity near protected areas to minimise its impact on forest and wildlife, he said.
PCCF (wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha or Satkosia field director Sudhansu Khora couldn’t be reached for their comments.
Draft ESZ
Two points of Satkosia TR with zero ESZ
Just 1 km ESZ boundary on all sides except northwest
There are 204 villages in the ESZ zone