Bhitarakanika National Park is a pride of Odisha. For decades, it has been a rich wildlife reserve for several species of flora and fauna. However, a recent incident has created controversy around it.
Bhitarakanika National Park has been omitted as a wildlife reserve from the CBSE Social science book of class 9. Due to this reason, the matter has been taken to the honourable Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Pattnaik.
In a letter to the chief minister, Subhendu Mallik, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Khurda said a ‘serious fault’ has been found 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 from the list of wildlife reserves in the country. Besides, Bhirakanika does not figure in the map of the chapter, he added.
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.”
