Bhubanesgwar, March 25 -- The Bhitarkanika national park authorities in Odisha's Kendrapara district have reclaimed around 11 hectares of forest land which was under the unlawful occupation of prawn culturists in an ongoing drive.
As many as 26 prawn dykes (locally called gheries) have so far been demolished during the exercise that got underway on March 20. Nearly 11 hectares of encroached forest land lying on the fringe of swampy mangrove forest has so far been reclaimed from the squatters. The reclaimed forest land will now be taken up for the mangrove regeneration programme, said Manas Das, Assistant Conservator of Forest.
These plots were under unauthorized occupation of prawn farmers. The erection of prawn dykes was unlawful as thes...