mangrove saplings not long
back. The species died young as prawn cultivators ravaged the once
lush green forestland, according to local forest protection groups.
Stung by criticism that forest officials promote and patronise
unauthorised prawn farming, the national park authorities had embarked
on the regeneration of mangroves in nearly 5,000 hectares of
forestland sometime back. Those patches were under unauthorised
occupation of prawn farmers. Ironically, things are back to square
one.
The regenerated patches in Sasanpeta, Kansaradiha, Hetamundia,
Sanatubi, Badatubi and Batighar under Mahakalpada forest blocks now
wear denuded look.
For regeneration programme, the forest department spent Rs 26 lakh
Central grants released by the union ministry of forest and
environment. The conservation exercise was undertaken under management
action plan for mangroves, said sources.
If the ground realities are any indication, the prawn mafias took to
centre stage hardly a month after the mangroves were regenerated.
Conservationists tend to believe that regeneration scheme that has
been extended to other deforested areas of Mahanadi deltaic region of
the Bhitarkanika national park would meet the doomed fate.
With allegations of collusion of officials with prawn farms flying
thick and fast, prospect of regenerated forest thriving long is
remote. Writ of prawn farms runs in forest areas as national park
officials turn blind eye to wanton destruction mangrove species along
the luxuriant wetland.
Prawn farming has emerged as a potent money-spinning business in these
parts. And this goes on unabated allegedly under the patronising hands
of forest officials.
The mangrove regeneration scheme is being implemented half-heartedly.
Besides there is absolute absence of watch and vigil on forest areas,
observed sources.
Conceding the fact that similar exercise undertaken in past has not
been entirely successful in checking the mangrove degradation, forest
officials however denied that prawn mafias run parallel administration
within Bhitarkanika. There are specific pockets of the national park
where prawn gheries have unlawfully sprouted up. Steps are being taken
to demolish those in a phased manner, informed sources.
Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary presents contrasting paradoxes.
Illegal human settlements coupled with alarming growth of prawn
farming in the reserve forest areas have hit hard its fragile
eco-system.
There are at least 410 villages within the site having more than two
lakh human populations. Historically, migrants from neighbouring
States, even from across the Bangladesh borders, have settled here
destroying the mangroves in the process. The settlements that came up
following the influx of migrants have in the meanwhile been declared
as revenue villages by the State government more out of political
compulsion.
The migrants served as secured vote banks for the ruling parties over
the years. As a result, as many as 43 revenue villages continue to
thrive in the core area causing irreparable damage to peripheral flora
and fauna in Bhitarkanika ecosystem. The wasteland and pastureland
that erroneously form part of revenue land are all encroached upon.
|
