Protected Area Network in Orissa - Vasundhara

Issues in Bhitarkanika Sanctuary & National ParkProcess of declaration and StatusIn 1975, the government declared the Bhitarkanika forests as a Sanctuary for theprotection of wild life under section 18 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The total areaof this sanctuary is 672 sq.km.. In 1988, the Govt published its intention for creating aNational Park over an area of 367 sq. km. in the Bhitarkanika area, but the finalnotification in 1998 recognised a much-reduced area. The Bhitarkanika National Parkactually comprises the 145 sq. km. core area of the sanctuary and is essentially a noharvest zone by principle. Meanwhile, in 1997, the marine waters off the Kanika coastwere also declared as the Gahiramatha Marine Sanctuary for the protection of Olive-Ridley turtles. This marine sanctuary shares its boundary with the BhitarkanikaSanctuary/National Park. It constitutes 1408 sq. km. of water body and 27 sq.km. ofland mass (including Reserved Mangrove Forests, mud flats and accreted sand bars).The core area of GMS is 725.50 sq. km. and the buffer area, 709.50 sq. km.There are 410 villages in the Sanctuary area with a population of around two lakhsand record of rights of these villagers were not documented by the Forest Departmentfor long. However, there was a petition filed in 1998 in the Orissa High Court relatingto various such issues following which the High Court asked for documentation ofthe record of rights. The District Collector of Kendrapara was in charge of thisdocumentation and his report, which has reportedly been submitted to the govt, isexpected to bring about a substantial change in the sanctuary boundary by excludinga large number of villages that do not seem to be ecologically important, from thesanctuary area. This proposed measure is expected to reduce the conflict between thepeople and the sanctuary authorities.Impact of the restrictions on livelihood of the local populationPeople of the area managed to collect forest products what they wanted for theirlivelihood till the area was declared as Sanctuary in 1975. After this notification, someof the existing rights still continued; but the inhabitants were no more allowed tomake any change in the land use pattern and also, all the creeks/nallas and riverbeds42