Protected Area Network in Orissa - Vasundhara

The CRZ regulation is to be enforced not by the Sanctuary authority but by theDistrict Collector as a result of which the former is often helpless to controlunauthorised activities in the area restricted under the same regulation.The latest difficulty comes from the Defence Department which has a military base inthe Wheeler island close to the breeding site of Olive Ridleys. The concernedauthorities promised that no test firing of missiles from this island would be carriedout during the breeding season of the turtles and accordingly, the test firing of Agnimissile was postponed in 1999 for the necessary period. But in January 2001and 2002this assurance was violated and test firing of Agni took place causing severedisturbance in the ecosystem as a result of which the number of Ridleys arrived formass-nesting was significantly reduced.The Bhitarkanika ecosystem has suffered dearly due to the impact of these interdepartmentalconflicts. Due to plantation of casuarina trees near the Gahiramathacoast following the cyclone of 1971 in order to create a natural barrier, which turnedto be an anti-turtle measure because research has shown that this plantation has beenan impediment for the turtles. Further, these trees prevent the formation of sanddunes. The turtles therefore avoid nesting on such beaches and their rookery islimited to a very small area now where no such plantation has been carried out. (TheTimes of India, 1-1-04).Development activities causing threat to mangrove ecosystemOne of the earliest and most important factors causing the destruction of coastalmangrove forests was the creation of Paradeep port which is nearer to theBhirarkanika sanctuary. Paradeep, as the name itself suggests, was a small island andvast areas(approx. 3000 hectares) of mangrove forests were destroyed in 1960s toestablish a major port there. The process was repeated during the construction ofDhamra fishing harbour and military bases(Chadha & Kar, op.cit. p.270). It has beenalleged that the movement of large vessels and ships around Paradeep has alsocontributed to the change in the local ecosystem which has caused the death of theturtles(The Sambad, 28-3-03).It may be recalled here that even if the boats and vesselsdo not cause any direct harm to the turtles, their movement disturbs the localecosystem which affects the turtles during the breeding season when they are in amore delicate and sensitive state.45