🐅Similipal Declared as Odisha’s Largest National Park

April 28, 2025
Thematic Focus: Conservation | Tribal Rights | GS Paper 3 – Environment

🕊️ Intro Whisper:

When a forest is named and protected, the wild heart of the land beats a little stronger.

🔹 Key Highlights: Similipal Declared as Odisha’s Largest National Park

• Similipal, covering 845.70 sq. km, officially notified as a national park by Odisha Govt.
• Becomes Odisha’s largest national park and the 107th in India.
• Encompasses part of the Similipal Tiger Reserve:
  • Tiger Reserve Area: 2,750 sq. km
  • Core Critical Habitat (notified in 2007): 1,194.75 sq. km
• Hosts rich biodiversity:
  • 55 species of mammals
  • 361 species of birds
  • 62 species of reptiles
  • 21 species of amphibians
• Similipal had been a wildlife sanctuary since 1975; national park proposal was pending since 1980.
• Challenges: Six villages existed in the core zone; Bakua village excluded due to habitation.
• New designation enables:
  • Stronger legal protection
  • Enhanced funding for habitat preservation
  • Alignment with sustainable development and tribal support

🧭 Concept Explainer:

Similipal’s elevation from sanctuary to national park marks not just a change in status — but a shift in India’s ecological prioritization and tribal inclusion strategy. This biosphere serves as a keystone for conservation in Eastern India, linking biodiversity protection with local livelihoods and eco-tourism potential.

The delay due to human settlements reflects the sensitive balance between conservation laws and indigenous rights — a dance India must perfect in its forest governance.

🧾 GS Mapping:

• GS Paper 3: Environment & Biodiversity | Protected Areas | Tiger Conservation
• GS Paper 1: Geography of India | Tribal Societies

💠 A Thought Spark — by IAS Monk:

“A national park is not a fence for animals — it is a sanctuary for all life, wild and wise.”