The Wild Orissa, an organisation for conservation of nature and wildlife, has urged all the political parties to make promises on the issues of sound ecological health and wildlife and nature conservation in their respective election manifestos to be published by them for the ensuing lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
To justify the plea, the Wild Orissa pointed out that the State needs to protect and improve the environment and safeguard the forests and the wildlife as per Article 48A of the Constitution.
“It is learned that a total of 6069.83 hectares of forests were approved for non-forestry use in Odisha during 2013. Similarly in 2014, a total of 750.9145 hectares of forests were cleared for various projects various developmental projects, including mining, hydro power, thermal power and railways,” Wild Orissa chief spokesperson Kulamani Deo said adding that these clearances have caused serious ecology concerns.
To further justify his plea, Deo informed that Odisha has already seen the extinction of Asiatic cheetah, hard ground barasingha, great Indian bustard, pink headed duck, forest spotted owlet, and possibly the central Indian wild buffalo due to deforestations.
Due to the non-forestry use of forests, the tribals and other forest dependent communities have directly been affected, he also added.
“Our political parties are the wheels for achieving the high ideals of democracy, and it is on them to provide for an India which enjoys ecologically sound health and wherein the rich biodiversity of all natural forms get their rightful place to live on mother earth. Hence the Wild Orissa submits to all political parties reflect their promises for providing sound ecological health and conserving the wildlife and the nature,” Deo said in a Statement.
He also suggested that candidates contesting elections need to apprise the voters about the need for environmental protection and sustainable development where loss of biodiversity is to be minimised.