Balasore: Wildlife lovers want the elephant corridor between Kuldhia sanctuary of Balasore and Hathgarh sanctuary of Keonjhar be declared as a conservation reserve to protect jumbos and ensure their smooth movement.

Conservation reserve areas are similar to eco-sensitive zones but in the case of former the existing human settlements in the area are allowed so that people are able to carry on with their normal business.

Earlier the pachyderms residing in all these sanctuaries -Simlipal, Kuldhia and Hathgarh - used to move freely as there was very little human interference. At present, they are facing problems because of mining activities. They have been straying into the human habitations and causing massive damage to property and also claiming human lives.

"Simlipal and Kuldhia elephants were using the Satuapada-Nato route to cross from one sanctuary to another but the route has been blocked with Satuapada minor irrigation project coming up while Nato has been encroached by villagers," said a resident of Nilgiri and former member of state board for wildlife Jayant Mardaraj.

Due to mining activities the pachyderms are getting disturbed and also facing untimely death by falling into pits and gorges constructed during the process of mining.