Bhubaneswar: The 12th meeting of the Standing Committee of the State Board for Wildlife was held today at the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department’s conference hall in Kharvel Bhawan, under the chairmanship of the Minister for Forest, Environment & Climate Change Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia.
This specialized committee operates under the mandate of Section 6(A) of the Wildlife (Protection) (Amendment) Act, 2022, which was established to ensure that matters concerning wildlife conservation and essential regional development are examined with greater frequency and technical rigor.
During the session, the committee reviewed a total of six development proposals, three of which are centred on transformative irrigation infrastructure. These projects, located within the Angul and Mayurbhanj districts, are designed to provide assured irrigation facilities to rural agricultural hubs. By stabilizing water access for local farmers, these initiatives are expected to serve as a cornerstone for the socio-economic upliftment of the surrounding village populations, bridging the gap between environmental stewardship and rural prosperity.
The remaining three proposals addressed the critical need for public health infrastructure through safe drinking water supply projects. These initiatives specifically target remote settlements located within the Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary, Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary and the Chandaka Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary, as well as their adjoining villages.
Following a period of detailed discussion and deliberation, the committee officially recommended all six proposals for approval by the Chairman of the State Board for Wildlife, the Chief Minister of Odisha. Once cleared by the Chief Minister, these projects will be forwarded to the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife, Government of India, for final consideration and onward transmission.
The meeting was attended by MLA (Bhatli) Irasis Acharya, Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change department, Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma, PCCF and Head of Forest Force Dr. K. Murugesan, PCCF (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Prem Kumar Jha, along with other committee members of the council who participated in the discussions.
