Reducing man-animal conflict: CAMPA steering panel approves Rs 1,086 cr annual plan

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government's State-level steering committee for CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority) has approved an annual plan of Rs 1,086 crore for 2023-24 fiscal with focus on reducing man-animal conflict.

Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra chaired a meeting on Wednesday which approved the annual plan. Mohapatra raised the issue relating to wildlife management activities which are being extensively carried out through CAMPA funds.

He said afforestation programmes are also to be monitored using CAMPA tracker and through satellite every six months and verified in the field though frequent inspection by senior officers.

A joint meeting with department concerned is to be conducted to prepare a five-year action plan to upgrade forest road to grade-1 metalling and the material intensive components such as culverts and causeway need to be covered under CAMPA funding, the Chief Secretary suggested.

Mohapatra also stressed on relocation of villages from tiger reserve sanctuary. He said the VHF networking needs to be improved in all divisions ensuring all days monitoring. A definite pool will be created at the gram panchayat level for engagement of forest labour under MGNREGS for 100 days, he added. The Chief Secretary also directed the officials concerned to prepare a comprehensive plan to avoid human-animal conflict. He said the Chandaka Wildlife Division needs to identify all the revenue forest patches in order to develop elephant corridor.

The Chief Executive Officer, State Authority, CAMPA, Pradeep Raj Karat presented the details of the activities proposed under CAMPA annual plan of operations (APO) 2023-24 with financial outlay of Rs 1,085.94 crore.

The APO mainly focuses on taking up plantations and other activities like maintenance of old plantations, forest protection, fire protection, simultaneous silvicultural operations for bamboo forests, soil and moisture conservation activities in forest lands, wildlife management, relocation of villages from protected areas and Forest infrastructure development.

Forest, Environment & Climate Change Additional Chief Secretary Mona Sharma suggested that plan made at district level for combating forest fire will be discussed with the district collectors concerned for effective control of forest fire and it should be uploaded in public domain. She also suggested to prepare 5-year Action Plan for improvement of forest roads identifying all the revenue forest patches.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Debidutta Biswal, Principal CCF (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden Sushil Kumar Popli, Principal CCF (Nodal & FCA) Sushanta Nanda, along with senior officers from departments concerned were present.