Residents living on the fringes of Bhitarkanika National Park protest against man-animal conflict and hand over a memorandum of demands to forest officials. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, Jan. 28: People living on fringes of the Bhitarkanika National Park today staged a demonstration in front of the divisional forest office to protest against the growing number of man-animal conflicts.

The protesters were demanding, among other things, enactment of new rules to safeguard the larger interest of the people living near the sanctuary.

“Wildlife is being prioritised here and human life, less precious. People living around the park are meted out a raw deal in the name of wildlife and forest protection,” said an agitator.

The protesters pressed the demand for fencing of the whole circumference of the 145sqkm-long national park. The park’s boundary has become porous, leading to straying of animals into places of human habitation in the peripheral villages. People have become susceptible to animal onslaught while the itinerant animals are ravaging the crop and agriculture fields at will. “Impregnable fencing will curb trespassing of animals, and thereby, reduce the number of man-animal conflicts,” said another agitator.

“The new law should have provisions to help people living in the sanctuary areas across the country to cope with increasing man-animal conflicts,” said another protester Gyanadev Beura.

“The crocodiles and wild boars are regularly claiming human lives. Besides, animals such as deer and boars are also regularly making their way into agriculture fields, ravaging the plants. On the other hand, the money that the forest department is paying us to compensate the animal-induced crop loss is meagre,” said Arindam Manna, a resident of Pravati village.

The protesters have raised several issues, including a revision of ex gratia award against human death because of the animal attacks and an increase in compassion grants against crop loss, said the divisional forest officer of Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) forest division, Manoj Kumar Mahapatra. The have also demanded a relaxation of fishing prohibition to traditional marine fishermen during turtles’ breeding and nesting season and an unrestricted entry permit to local residents for collection of forest produce, he said.