Impact of NTFP ban on the lives and livelihood of the ... - Vasundhara

face lot <strong>of</strong> difficulties due to poor access to health facilities because <strong>of</strong> the distant location <strong>of</strong> Primary HealthCenters. There has been hardly any effort from the government side to provide alternative health services inthese areas. We have got reports from different protected areas that people carrying patients are stopped atthe gate leading to medical complications, and the reason cited is that going outside the sanctuary in night isnot permissible. Effectively all access to services from outside world is restricted, and the people are cut <strong>of</strong>ffrom basic human needs <strong>of</strong> health, education etc.Further, restrictions over the mobility <strong>of</strong> outside traders and local people (especially while carryingcommodities to sell outside), on implementation <strong>of</strong> social security programmes like Indira Awas Yojana,Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana, ICDS etc. deprive the people from basic services which is a violation <strong>of</strong>fundamental rights <strong>of</strong> people within the protected areas. Such incidents are being reported from almost allprotected areas in the State.12. Increasing Man-Animal conflictsCrop depredation by wild elephants is growing and has emerged as a serious problem not only in corevillages but even in the villages located in the periphery <strong>of</strong> the Sanctuary. The frequency <strong>of</strong> intrusion <strong>of</strong>elephants into the paddy fields <strong>of</strong> people increases during harvesting season when the herds destroy lot <strong>of</strong>standing crops falling on the way. Besides, attack on human lives has also increased and every year a case <strong>of</strong>human casualty is reported from the surrounding villages.13. Increasing Developmental ActivitiesVarious developmental projects like mining; big dams, etc. are immerging around Protected Areas. Variousprotected areas are denotified for these developmental projects. Protected Areas possesses rich stocks <strong>of</strong>mineral resources, which are viewed as very critical for industrial growth. But mining projects are seriouslyimpacting overall conservation scenario by negatively affecting ecosystem, it is not only adversely affectingecosystem but also creating Protected Areas as island <strong>of</strong> conservation by destroying important under naturalhabitats <strong>of</strong> considered species outside the protected areas. (e.g. mining in Keonjhar region is seriouslyimpacting elephant corridor thereby, brought out behavioral changes in elephants causing increased cases <strong>of</strong>man-elephant conflict, elephant poaching, etc.) Furthermore big dams are also threatening wildlifeconservation by submerging large patches <strong>of</strong> biodiversity rich forests (e.g. Rengali, Hirakud, Indravati, etc.had submerged large patches <strong>of</strong> biodiversity rich forests). Other projects like national highways, pipelinesare also impacting biodiversity adversely, thereby disturbing ecological balance.13