The Forest and Environment
Department has included 74 villages inside the eco-sensitive zone in
order to protect the wildlife and green cover of the area.

As per
the State Government’s regulation, the outer boundary of the sanctuary
has to be at a distance of 10 kilometres from the core area.

The Forest and Environment Ministry has asked various stakeholders to submit their objections to the proposed plan.

Earlier,
Bhuasuni Mouza was selected for the proposed Regional Solid Waste
Management Treatment Plant (RSWTP). BMC has already been granted 61.48
acres of land for the project.

With Bhubaneswar generating more
than 500 tonnes of solid waste everyday, RSWTP is considered vital.
Presently, the solid waste of the city is dumped at Bhuasuni.

“The inclusion of the village will jeopardise progress of one of the major projects of BMC,” said a senior BMC official.

Meanwhile,
BMC Commissioner Sanjib Mishra has written to the Wildlife Conservator
of Forests asking him not to include Bhuasuni in the proposed boundary.

Principle
Chief Conservator of Forest JD Sharma said every objection regarding
eco-sensitive zone will be evaluated by a technical team comprising
ecologists and environment specialists.

The local administration will look into the issue and a proposal will be drafted accordingly.

The
proposal will be submitted to the State Government, which will send it
to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Sharma said.