India, Sept. 24 -- Environmentalists warn of unchecked tourism projects in Odisha's Mahendragiri hills

Fragile ecosystem houses over 1,300 plant and nearly 400 animal species

Area declared a Biodiversity Heritage Site in 2022, but pressures mount

New cottages, temples and corridors threaten forest and wildlife

Activists call for urgent declaration of the hills as a biosphere reserve

An environmental organisation has raised alarm over large-scale construction in the Mahendragiri hills of Gajapati district, Odisha, warning of severe impacts on the fragile ecosystem and the loss of its rich biodiversity.

Perched more than 1,500 metres above sea level, the Mahendragiri range was declared a Biodiversity Heritage Site in 2022. The fragile...