Kendrapara (Odisha): Four people were arrested on Sunday after roots and stems of mangrove trees were seized from their possession in Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, a senior official said. They were nabbed by a forest patrol squad at Kalibhanjadiha forest in the core area of the national park, and the roots and stems of Salacia, an important mangrove species, were seized from their possession, he said.
Salacia, locally called Batara, is a medicinal plant which is most often used for diabetes and blood sugar.
Timber smugglers sell the dry roots of Salacia as fake sandalwood as the colour of the root is yellow, the forest officer said.
The arrested persons hail from villages, which are located on the fringes of the national park, and were remanded to judicial custody for felling trees in the reserve forest.
Bhitarkanika is one of the richest storehouses of storehouses of mangrove species.
Researchers have come across 11 of the 70 mangrove species, which were at elevated threat of extinction in the world, in Bhitarkanika. Mangroves are regarded as natural barriers against tidal surges and cyclones.
Because of its rich mangrove cover, cyclonic storms from time to time have failed to make inroads into the wetland sites.
