Bhubaneswar: In a unique initiative, the Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary officials joined hands with residents of Amjhar village in Bargarh district to protect the environment and wildlife on Wednesday.
The villagers, in the presence of Anshu Pragyan Das, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO Wildlife), Hirakud, and other forest department officials of Debrigarh, pledged to make their village, falling under the foothills of the sanctuary, free from pollution caused by open defecation in forest lands.
The residents of Amjhar village took the pledge in front of the idol of their presiding deity, assuring officials they would use toilets instead of defecating in the forest areas.
As a goodwill gesture, the Debrigarh authorities constructed new toilets in nine houses and repaired 76 toilets by installing new doors, fittings, and septic tanks.
Authorities also provided villagers with water tanks and motors to ensure uninterrupted water connectivity to the toilets. Along with this, 10 dustbins were installed to reduce littering of garbage.
The development activities in Amjhar village were done by utilizing 10% of the revenue generated from ecotourism this year. Additionally, some villagers are engaged in the sanctuary’s ecotourism initiatives.
In a remarkable initiative, the 48 families of Dhodrukusum village, in collaboration with the Hirakud Wildlife Division, proudly declared their village a ‘Green Village’ in 2023.
This achievement was made possible through their collective efforts to create a sustainable environment, which included making the village completely plastic-free, ensuring the use of toilets and dustbins in every household, preventing forest fires, and raising awareness about conservation through vibrant animal murals on village walls, inspiring a new generation to adopt eco-friendly practices.
