06-bioresourcesstatu.. - M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

the rice straw is exhausted. A few years ago the
natural resources were under threat by the
creation of prawn farms. These prawn farms
exploited the water resources and polluted them
with effluents rich in organic matter. This threat is
less now, with strict vigilance from the Sanctuary
Authorities. Livestock grazing is also a great
problem, especially in areas of new plantations.
Nayak (2001) estimates a lakh of buffaloes and
cows graze in the sanctuary area during the
cropping season.
Development that can harm the biodiversity of the
area is a very alive threat. In the past decade a
plan to construct a road along the northern
boundary of the Sanctuary was implemented. This
road joins Rajnagar to Talchua and has two
bridges, one of these bridge is now unsuitable for
use. But this road had made sanctuary very
accessible and may lead to increase in poaching of
animals.
The Brahmani and Baitarani rivers flow through
the high industrial and mining regions of Orissa
before they reach Bhitarkanika, and may contain
a lot of mine tailings. The effect of these on the
fisheries, animals and plant life is not known. It
may be that the anaerobic conditions in the
mangrove soils trap the heavy metals from the
mine tailings that pollute river waters and make
them unavailable to the plants.
Ill. Potential
Increasing population (decadal growth rate of +
13.25) that will depend on the same "protected
resources" will, in future lead to severe conflicts
on resource use. On one hand the sanctuary
authorities are ensuring more legal protection to
the area by upgrading part of the sanctuary as
well as increasing areas under protection, while
on the other hand the people are underprivileged
with poor facilities for health care, education,
transport and employment opportunities.
The site is one of the finest examples of a vast
diversity of life forms and so many of them are still
not known. Thus there is a need to ensure that
this site is protected.
iv. Threats to the local dependent
populations
In the present study, with the available
information at hand, it is difficult to say which of
the populations and why they or their livelihoods
are threatened. The local officials and residents
though have a few ideas :
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Bhitarkanika
Declaration of an area as protected under the
Wildlife (Protection) Act usually leads to curtailing
the rights of the local dependent populations to
extract the resources. One of the major threats to
the local population is the prohibition to fishing in
the Marine Sanctuary area. Most of the small
fishermen have boats that are ill equipped to go
further into the sea. They usually fish in areas
that are now protected. The families do not have
the resources to buy better boats or trawlers.
These people will end up as the labourers of
trawler owners, who are either from West Bengal
or Andhra Pradesh.
The Sanctuary Authorities sometimes suspend the
collection of "naalia". Though this activity is not
the sole livelihood source of the harij an
community, they do not have any other source of
income during those months and they may then go
for illegal collections.
VII. Conservation and
Management Efforts
At present the area is protected with the
declaration of two sanctuaries and a national
park. There are many areas of conflict between
the local residents and the Protected Area
authorities. The Divisional Forest Office at
Rajnagar has initiated a Eco-development Plan in
order to lessen the dependency. Some activities
under this plan are:
• Vocational training in coir mat, rope making,
tailoring, basket making, mushroomcultivation,
food processing and bee keeping.
• Distribution of fuel and fodder seedlings
• Distribution of solar cookers
• Grass plantations
i. The following acts are applicable in
the study site (Chadha and Kar 1999).
Forests and wildlife in Kanika Zamindari area
had traditionally been managed under the local
rules prescribed by the local rulers from time to
time. After the merger, the area was governed
under Indian Forest Act and a number of other
legislations enacted from time to time. Strategic
location of the area has brought it under a number
of special laws like the Orissa Marine Fishing
Regulation Act (1982). Coastal Regulation Zone
Guidelines under Environment (Protection) Act,
1986.