Micro-plans to keep off human presence
BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to keep human pressure off Similipal Biosphere Reserve, plans are afoot to strengthen both the resource and livelihood base of 1200- odd villages in and around the sanctuary area. A Rs 1.95-cr plan was placed before the State-Level Steering Committee that takes a call on development of biosphere. The committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, met here on Wednesday. Currently, there are four villages in the core area of the sanctuary and 57 in the buffer zone. Another 1,200 are within a 10 km radius of the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR).