Odisha government awaits technical nod

BHUBANESWAR : The state government is waiting for final approval of the detailed project report (DPR) from the technical committee of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to proceed further in setting up a melanistic tiger safari in the state.

Deemed to be a first-of-its-kind in the world, the melanistic tiger safari is proposed to be set up in Baripada close to Similipal Tiger Reserve. After in-principle approval was accorded for the project, a technical committee comprising members of both NTCA and CZA paid visit to the site identified near Baripada in June, sources in the wildlife wing of the Forest department said.

A DPR of the proposed safari had been submitted to the committee during their visit. However, there has been no communication from the committee so far. “We are waiting for approval of the DPR to proceed further in the matter,” said a senior forest official.

Sources said after the DPR is approved, it will be forwarded to a Supreme Court committee for vetting. “The committee’s approval is a must to take up the safari project in a forest land,” said a senior official from Similipal Tiger Reserve adding, the project will be taken up only after completion of these formalities.

While the project had been announced by the previous BJD government in January, sources said the newly-formed BJP government is also keen to implement it.

The safari will be established in a forest area adjoining NH-18 of Baripada town in Mayurbhanj district for which the Forest department has earmarked a 150 hectare patch of land near Manchabandha reserve forest. Around 40 to 50 hectare of the total land will be reserved as display area and the balance area will be utilised for creation of veterinary care facilities including a rescue centre, staff infrastructure and visitors’ amenities among others.

As per Forest department’s plan, six tigers, four melanistic and two white tigers, will be released to the safari initially. While three melanistic tigers along with two white tigers of the same lineage will be brought from the Nandankanan Zoo, another melanistic tiger, unfit for rewilding, will be brought from Ranchi as part of an agreement between the Odisha and Jharkhand governments. Odisha