Naveen’s Attention Drawn To Omission Of Bhitarakanika National Park In Social Science Book Of CBSE

Bhubaneswar: The wildlife lovers of the state have taken strong objection to a ‘serious’ mistake on the part of CBSE in omitting Bhitarakanika National Park in its Social Science book for Class IX students and drawn the attention of chief minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard.

In a letter to the chief minister, Subhendu Mallik, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Khurda said a ‘serious fault’ has been found in in Chapter 5 titled Natural Vegetation and Wildlife of Social Science book for Class IX students. In the chapter, the name of Bhitarakanika National Park has been omitted in the list of wildlife reserves in the country. Besides, Bhirakanika does not figure in the map of the chapter, he added.

He said the core area of Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary comprising 145 sq km was declared as a National Park in 1998 because of its ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, and zoological association and importance and for the purpose of protection.

He also said though Bhitarakanika was notified as a National Park 24 years back, the book, which was originally printed in 2019, has failed to mention it.

Similarly, the Similipal Biosphere Reserve has been notified by the Centre on June 22, 1994. But it is yet to be declared as a National Park, Mallik said.

Stating that he has relevant documents showing the erroneous map on the subject, Mallik said, “The omission of Bhitarakanika National Park can never be acceptable for Odisha. Therefore, I request your good office to instruct concerned authorities to ask CBSE to immediately correct the map, and not to put any questions with the erroneous information in the examination for its students.”