The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is keen to join hands with the Forest Department for engaging with people of villages inside the core area of the Similipal Tiger Reserve and persuading them to move out by accepting a proper rehabilitation package.
The organisation will hold dialogues with the villagers of Jamunagaon and Bakua to educate them on the necessity of forest and wildlife protection while making efforts in instilling confidence among them over the rehabilitation packages offered in lieu of displacement.
It, in fact, held a programme recently in both the villages in a bid to motivate the people to take upon themselves the responsibility of protecting wildlife and thwarting poaching activities in the reserve. The Regional Chief Conservator of Forests and Director of Similipal Tiger Project Anup Kumar Nayak has extended all support to the initiatives taken by WTI to start interactions with the villagers on their displacement, WTI programme coordinator and honorary wildlife warden Satyanarayan Das said.
The WTI has launched a series of programmes in an attempt to sensitise people in and around the Tiger reserve.
Health check-up cum awareness camps were organised in association with the Karanjia Forest Division and Tiger Project in several villages in which more than 300 people from forest hamlets were examined and provided free medicines. As many as 75 people of the total turnout were detected with malaria.
Programmes on forest conservation and prevention of timer smuggling were held at Dudhiani, Rangamatia, Khalapada-Dhipasahi villages under DFO Ashish Kumar Behera.
“The thrust of the programmes was drawing community involvement in protection of the ecosystem and improving man animal co-existence”, Das said.
