Bhubaneswar, Nov. 2: Shrinking green cover of Orissa has triggered concern among environmentalists who fear that the phenomenon may lead to the disappearance of certain wildlife species.

The denudation of forests has been most visible in districts such as Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Nowrangpur, which once boasted of dense forests teeming with wildlife. “These districts, which once formed part of undivided Koraput, now present a pathetic sight with balding hills and swathes of burnt down vegetation. The local tribals practise slash and burn cultivation called Podu in these parts,” said an official.

The situation in certain parts of Koraput has become so bad that even tribals living in the lower reaches of the hills have moved away fearing flash floods during monsoon. With no vegetation cover left on the hills, rainwater comes gushing down sweeping away everything in its way.

Senior officials said while the problem was most acute in the undivided Koraput district, other tribal-dominated districts of the state were also witnessing destruction of forests. In the case of districts such as Sundergarh and Keonjhar, mines and industries appear to be the major culprit. “Mining has taken a huge toll on the forest wealth of Keonjhar. Large tracts of forests have been destroyed by miners in connivance with government officials,” said an environmentalist adding that time had come when areas around wildlife sanctuaries should be declared as “no industry” zones.

Pointing out that destruction and degradation of forests has a direct bearing on wildlife, green activists have held that the phenomenon was responsible for the rising cases of man-animal conflict in Orissa. “Habitat degradation is driving elephants in many areas of the state into human habitations where they cause massive depredation. There have also been cases of angry people killing these animals without realising that elephants are not actually at fault,” said an environmentalist.

The situation has not improved despite a special elephant plan having been launched by the Orissa government a few years ago. Officials said that efforts were being made to create new elephant corridors while improving the condition of old and eroded corridors, but no one should expect a miracle to take place overnight. “Bureaucracy, in any case, moves slowly. But we are trying to do our best within our limitations. Only time will tell whether our efforts have succeeded or not,” said an official.