August 20
Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, Chief Secretary, Odisha, directed to prepare comprehensive wildlife (WL) management plan for newly granted coal block areas.
He gave this direction while reviewing the status of forest clearance and wildlife life management in newly allotted coal block areas of Angul district in a high-level meeting held in hybrid mode from Lokseba Bhawan conference hall, where Additional Chief Secretary Forest and Environment Satyabrata Sahu outlined the issues for discussion.
The meeting’s discussions revealed that the important blocks including Utkal E coal, Radhikapur East coal, Radhikapur West coal, and Naini coal blocks are among the recently allocated coal blocks. Chhendipada, Kaniha, and Jarpada ranges in the Angul division and Reamal range in the Deogarh division were among the likely impact zones.
Chief secretary asked to develop a comprehensive plan for the preservation and protection of wildlife, as well as to mitigate the adverse effects of coal mining on elephant movement.
The Indian Institute of Science and other national level institutions, such as the Wildlife Institute of India, was chosen to draught the comprehensive strategy.
CS directed to develop the strategy in accordance with national norms in a timely way.
Senior officers from the relevant departments, including Additional Chief Secretary Sri Satyabrata Sahu, Principal Secretary Steel, and Mines Sri Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, Principal Chief Conservators of Forests (Hoff) Sri Debidatta Biswal, PCCF Wild Life, and Chief Conservator of Wild Life, participated in the discussion. Over video conference, Collector and DFO Angul appraised the field situation.
