Kendrapara, Dec. 18: Bhitarkanika National Park has reclaimed nearly 175 acres of land in Mahakalpada, Kanika and Rajnagar forest range that was illegally occupied by prawn farmers in a month-long operation, authorities claimed.

The forest department has registered cases against 17 unauthorised prawn gherry owners under sections 4, 14 and 21 of Forest Conservation Act and various provisions of Wildlife Protection Act and Section 30 of Orissa Forest Act, said officials.

The reclaimed patches have been taken up for a mangrove regeneration programme to prevent prawn farmers from reoccupying the forest area. The authorities have already begun mangrove plantation in the swampy patches, which are ideal for the species.

"The forest department has undertaken a drive to demolish the prawn dykes that have unlawfully sprouted up in protected forest areas. After the areas are cleared, we are going to regenerate mangroves on those denuded patches", said divisional forest officer, Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya.

Since the past two years, the department has succeeded in regenerating mangrove species in about 1,000 hectares of denuded land. These areas, once ravaged by prawn farming, are now full of lush-green mangrove species.

Certain patches of protected forest areas in Hetamundia, Saralikuda, Sanatubi and Jogidhanakuda, however, are still occupied by squatters. The eviction drive would be further intensified in these areas to make them encroachment-free.