CM’s pat for wildlife lovers

Statesman News Service

October 3, 2007

BHUBANESWAR, Oct 3: While the poachers turned conservationists stole the show at the Wild Life Week celebrations, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who spoke of not allowing “rapid economic growth to diminish protected areas” turned evasive when asked why he being the forest minister had allowed withdrawal of a elephant sanctuary proposal at Niyamagiri.
It may be noted that the withdrawal of the proposed sanctuary which forms part of a crucial elephant corridor had shocked wild life activists who had suspected that it was done to benefit mining operations for a big industrial house. Addressing the Wild Life Week function here Mr Patnaik however underlined the fact that it would be unrealistic to expect to add to the existing protected areas in the state largely due to population density and other such pressures.
In the true sense not only popular specicies like tier, elephant etc but all forms of life needs to be conserved as there is a web of inter dependence of all living elements he said. They meet the needs of human beings ,he observed while speaking about plant life and medicinal values, genes and how they can contribute the crop yield etc
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