Berhampur: Two projects for conservation of rare species of Olive Ridley sea turtles and black bucks, under the Natural Resources Conservation Outside Protected Areas (NRCOPA) were launched in the Ganjam district. A workshop-cum-launching function was held here in the city attended by Rajya Sabha member Renubala Pradhan, Chhatrapur MLA Adikanda Sethi, forest and UNDP officials. The Central government, under the NRCOPA, promotes the conservation of biodiversity through community participation by technical and financial support. The project will extend support to the conservation efforts outside the protected areas in the states of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, including supporting and strengthening the capacity of communities to monitor and manage the resources in sustainable manner to derive equitable benefits from such resources. The two projects, Rushikulya River Mouth for Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Conservation and Bhetonai-Balipadar area for Black Buck Conservation, have been launched under the said scheme. Notably, Rushikulya river mouth attracts lakhs of rare species of Olive Ridley sea turtles for mass nesting and lying of eggs while Balipadar and Bhetonoi areas of Ganjam district has the distinction of protecting rare species of black bucks through community participation.