Bibhav,
Thanks for raising a pertinent issue. In our mad rush for so called development, we have turned a blind eye to the destruction of our natural heritage.

In most of the cities, forests are disappearing due to the rapid urbanisation. Ultimately, the forests become islands in the midst of concrete jungles. These landlocked forests, lose their valuable denizens - the elephants, tigers, leopards etc. Slowly the forests become parks without any tree cover.

Elephants are migratory in nature due to their food requirement. In most of the areas where human animal conflict is prevalent, it is man who is the aggressor. We have moved into traditional migratory paths and this has led the elephants to destroy our crops and then the elephants are now unwanted.

When the forests lose contiguity, it becomes difficult for the bigger animals to survive. It becomes too small an area to sustain large carnivores and large herbivores. Over a period of time, the gene pool gets closed.

So what is the solution? What do we need to do?

As concerned citizens we need to raise our voice demanding intervention from the authorities. Please write to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Orissa asking his kind intervention. You may raise the following points:

1. Conduct a census immediately to know the the As-Is situation ie. the flora and fauna existing at the moment.

2. Strengthen the forest department by looking into the issues of staff shortage if any, increase patrolling and take strict action against biotic pressures like wood felling, extracting forest produce and poaching.

3. Re-establish a forest corridor between bharatpur and chandaka forests.

4. Stop all constructions in close proximity to the forests.

You may write in your own language highlighting these points and shoot an email/letter to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Orissa, Shri Naveen Patnaik, and email at cmo@ori.nic.in

and copy to
Chief Secretary of Orissa: Shri Ajit Kumar Tripathy, csori@ori.nic.in

cc: Principal Secretary, Forest & Environment Department, Govt of Orissa, email: fesec@ori.nic.in