Humans as important as tigers
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Chief Secretary of Odisha to rehabilitate and ensure the basic human rights of the villagers residing inside the Satkosia Tiger Reserve area and its adjacent areas who suffer immensely due to the prolonged inaction of the State.
The apex human rights watchdog passed the order acting over a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy in this regard. The Odisha Government is not paying any heed for the relocation of human habitations from the core critical areas of tiger reserves is being strongly insisted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Six years after it was declared a tiger reserve (TR), its management has not been able to effect relocation of a single village as yet. People of the revenue villages, Raigoda, Marada, Kuturi, Salapagonda and Musuguda, inside the core which is measured at 524 sq km have been demanding the State Government to shift them out of the tiger reserve’s core, but in vain.
According to the wildlife experts, existence of the villages inside the inviolate area of the TR has adversely impacted both the wildlife as well as the residents. The villagers bear loss every year as their crops are raided frequently by elephants and wild boars, Radhakanta alleged.
He requested the NHRC to visit the spot and direct the State and the Ministry of Environment and Forests to act on war footing to rehabilitate the villagers as per the norms and ensure adequate safety measures for their life and livelihood and continuous monitoring thereof along with compensation. The Chief Secretary is yet to reply.