Odisha urges WTI to prepare wildlife management plan

The Odisha government on Saturday urged the Wildlife Trust of India to prepare a Comprehensive Wildlife Management Plan for the state within 15 months.

"The WTI has been requested to prepare the comprehensive plan within 15 months. They will hold wide-ranging discussions with various stakeholders at different levels," said Forest and Environment Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra.

He said the technical experts and field-level executives will be consulted while inputs will also be collected from local knowledge sources.

Each department would nominate one nodal officer to give the necessary data and other inputs to the WTI for the plan's preparation, said Mohapatra.

He pointed out that the government expects the plan to be completed within coming 10 months.

Presiding over a meeting to discuss the plan, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi advised preparation of the comprehensive plan to balance between forest and wildlife conservation on one side and mining and developmental activities on the other.

Padhi advised adopting appropriate technological solutions and innovative approaches to resolve the difference between wildlife conservation and developmental interventions.

The meeting discussed preparation of micro-level plans for 51 wildlife and territorial divisions of Odisha, said an official release.

The issues about diversity and conservation of mammalian, tigers, avian species, herpetofaunal species, fish, plants, aquatic life, marine resources, sacred groves and others were discussed in the meeting, the release added.

"Odisha is leading in working out the Comprehensive Wildlife Management Plan in the entire nation," said M.K. Ranjitsinh, Chairman Emeritus, Wildlife Trust of India.

The state government had signed a memorandum of understanding last year with the WTI to prepare the wildlife management plan.

--IANS

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