Chhattisgarh

• 17 Jan 2025

Maoists Encountered in Indravati National Park

Why in News? 

Security forces killed five Maoists during an encounter inside Indravati National Park in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. 

 Key Points 

• Operations in Indravati National Park: 
  • Multiple security teams reached the Bandepara-Koranjed area, after receiving intelligence about Maoist activity. 
  • Security forces identified the Maoists as members of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) based on their uniforms. 
• Weapons Recovered: 
  • Recovered items included a self-loading rifle, a barrel grenade launcher, a 12-bore gun, a Bharmar gun, explosives, and other weapons. 

 Indravati National Park 

• About:  
  • It is situated in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. 
  • It was established in 1981 and declared a tiger reserve in 1983 under India’s Project Tiger. 
  • It is named after the Indravati River, which flows from east to west and forms the reserve's northern boundary with Maharashtra. 
• Vegetation: 
  • Comprises three major forest types: 
    • Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest with Teak. 
    • Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest without Teak. 
    • Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest. 
• Flora: 
  • Common tree species include teak, achar, karra, kullu, shisham, semal, haldu, arjun, bel, and jamun. 
• Fauna: 
  • Hosts one of the last populations of rare wild buffalo. 
  • Other species include Nilgai, Black Buck, Sambar, Gaur, Tiger, Leopard, Chital, Sloth Bears, and more.