Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Environmental Planning and Coordination Organisation (EPCO) has prepared proposals for two biosphere reserves. Before sending them to Ministry of Environmental, Forest and Climate Change for approval, it has forwarded the both proposals to state forest department to seek more suggestions. Sources in EPCO said that a detailed proposal had been prepared to develop biosphere reserve in Kanha and Pench.
The EPCO is also working on similar proposal for Bandhavgarh. “To seek more suggestions, we have forwarded the proposals related to developing biosphere reserve in Kanha and Pench to forest department as core zone area comes in forest area.
By June, both proposals will be sent to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for final approval,” an EPCO official said. A presentation on developing biosphere reserve in Kanha and Pench was made before Man and Biosphere Committee in New Delhi, which was approved.
At present, Madhya Pradesh has biosphere reserve in Achanakmar (situated between Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh) Panchmarhi and Panna.
Biosphere reserve
It has core area, buffer zone and transition zone.
It focuses on welfare of local inhabitants through provision of supplementary and alternate livelihood support to people in buffer and transition zones in order to reduce biotic pressure on biodiversity of natural reserves of core area.
