COMING SOON: NATIONAL PARK STATUS FOR SIMILIPAL

After decades of wait, Similipal National Park is going to be a reality with the Odisha government gearing up for a formal notification shortly.

- SUDARSAN MAHARANA @Bhubaneswar

An area of 845.7 sq km, primarily in Similipal south division, will be declared as national park and the notification is only a matter of time, said sources in the Wildlife headquarters. The statutory 60-day proclamation period issued by the district administration has been complied.

Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) is the state's biggest tiger habitat. As per the criteria of the Centre, an area to be accorded national park status must be completely inviolate and free from human habitation and movement of domestic animals. Accordingly, out of 2,306.61 sq km, an area of 845.70 sq km of Similipal was proposed as national park.

The government had already notified 1,194.75 sq km of STR as the core critical tiger habitat in 2007. However, the proposal for national park was due to presence of human habitations in its core.