Odisha To Prepare Wildlife Management Plan

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Saturday decided to prepare a Comprehensive Wildlife Management Plan.

Chairing a meeting, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi advised preparing the comprehensive plan balancing between forest and wildlife conservation on one side and the mining and developmental activities on the other side.

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.

Forest and Environment Secretary Suresh Mohapatra said Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) had been requested to prepare the comprehensive plan within 15 months.

They would hold wide discussions with various stakeholders at different levels. The technical experts and field level executives will be consulted. Inputs would also be collected from local knowledge sources, said an official.

Each department would nominate one nodal officer to give necessary data and input to WTI for the preparation of the plan, said Mohapatra.

He said the government expects the plan to be completed within coming ten months.