The Odisha Government has conferred the picturesque Gandhamardan hills spread over Bolangir and Bargarh districts, the ‘biodiversity heritage site’ tag in accordance with the provisions of the Biodiversity Act and rules, according to a notification issued by Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department.

The biodiversity hotspot is widely acclaimed as the treasure trove of medicinal plants. This ecologically fragile ecosystem is rich in floral and faunal diversity having diverse socio-economic, ecological and biological significance for the people of Odisha.

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Earlier, the Odisha Biodiversity Board has processed the guidelines and recommended the proposal for declaring Gandhamardan as a Biodiversity Heritage Site.

“The Government have been pleased to declare an area of 18,963.898 ha of Gandhamardan hill (Gandhamardan Reserve Forest) between Bargarh (12431.8 ha) and Bolangir (6532.098 ha) districts of Odisha under both Bolangir and Bargarh Forest Divisions as the ‘Biodiversity Heritage Site of Odisha as per section 37 of Biodiversity Act and Rule 20(2) of Odisha Biodiversity Rules, 2012 and as per the criteria of the Guidelines issued by this Department”, the notification issued on Tuesday stated.

The floral diversity of the hill comprises 1055 plant species that include 849 angiosperms, 56 Pteridophytes, 40 Bryophytes, 45 Lichens and 02 Gymnosperms and 63 species of Macrofungi. The faunal diversity comprises 500 species of animals that include 43 Mammals, 161 Birds, 44 Reptiles, 16 Amphibians, 118 Butterflies, 27 Dragonflies and 7 Damselflies and 83 species of Spiders.

Two historical monuments such as Nrusinghanath Temple located on the Northern slope and Harishankar Temple located on the Southern slope of the foot hills of Gandhamardan have immense cultural significance. These two hill shrines are the two major pilgrimage sites of Odisha. In his chronicles Hiuen Tsang had described this hill shrine as a Buddhist heritage site named Parimalagiri.

The rich biological resources of this cultural landscape are under pressure due to various anthropogenic and climatic factors and the traditional ecological knowledge associated with the bio-resources of the hill are declining. The long-term protection, conservation and management of biological resources of the Gandhamardan hill are of utmost significance for the State.