The 11th meeting of the Standing Committee of the State Wildlife Board was held today at the conference room of the Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Department in Kharavela Bhawan.
Chaired by Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change, as well as Labour and Employees’ State Insurance, Odisha, the session focused on timely solutions to emerging challenges in wildlife conservation and enhancement.
The committee was established under Section 6(A) of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022, to ensure prompt and appropriate measures for protecting Odisha’s wildlife. During the meeting, five developmental projects were presented for review. Four of these proposals pertained to the installation of mobile towers in underserved rural villages under the Government of India’s 4G connectivity initiative. These towers aim to provide uninterrupted telecom services, enabling residents to access essential government benefits in health, education, and emergency support, while integrating remote communities into the mainstream.
The approved mobile tower projects include:
– A new tower by Reliance Jio in Belagam village, Gajapati district.
– A new tower by BSNL in Buriapaju village, Gania tehsil, Nayagarh district.
– A new tower by BSNL in Janakjhali village, Gania tehsil, Nayagarh district.
– A new tower by BSNL in Rekadi village, Gania tehsil, Nayagarh district.
Additionally, a significant road connectivity project under the Bharatmala Pariyojana was tabled: the construction of a national highway from Gobindpur in Dhenkanal district to Tangi in Cuttack district. This initiative is designed to alleviate traffic congestion on National Highway 16 (NH-16) between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, offering improved transportation facilities to the public.
Following detailed discussions and evaluations, the committee approved all five projects. These will now be forwarded to the Chief Minister of Odisha, who also serves as the Chairperson of the State Wildlife Board, for endorsement before being recommended to the Central Wildlife Board under the Government of India for final approval.
The meeting also delved into broader issues, including wildlife conservation efforts, strategies to mitigate human-animal conflicts, habitat improvements, and internal challenges requiring timely resolutions.
Attendees included Bhatli MLA Debashish Acharya; Additional Chief Secretary of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, Satyabrata Sahu; Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Suresh Pant; Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Prem Kumar Jha; Director General of Police (Crime Branch), Sarthak Sarangi; Additional Secretary, Deben Pradhan; Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Projects), Dr. Ajit Kumar Pattnaik; Former Professor at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Dr. Niranjan Sahu; Representative from Wildlife Institute of India, Dr. Bibash Pandav; Scheduled Tribe Representative, Satyanarayan Majhi; Former Wildlife Warden, Aditya Chandra Panda; Divisional Forest Officers; officials from Reliance Jio and BSNL; and senior officials from the National Highways Authority.
This meeting underscores Odisha’s commitment to balancing infrastructure development with wildlife protection, ensuring sustainable growth in remote areas while safeguarding natural habitats.
