Nagaland Forest, NGOs discuss conservation efforts

Dimapur, Feb. 11 (EMN): A programme to promote conservation of forest and wildlife, and associated issues was jointly organised on February 11 by the Nagaland Forest department, Nagaland State Biodiversity Board, and the Wildlife Conservation Society-India (WCS) at the State Environment & Forestry Training Institute (Sefti) in Dimapur.

The programme aimed also at mitigating the human-animal conflict, besides highlighting issues of wildlife crime; biodiversity and constitution of community reserves and biodiversity management committees.

Around 120 persons including students, frontline staff from the Forest department and forest fringe communities attended the programme, a press release from the Sefti on Tuesday informed.

The chief conservator of Forest, also member-secretary of the Nagaland State Biodiversity Supongnukshi, highlighted in his address the constitution and function of the state biodiversity board. He spoke about conservation, sustainable utilisation and equitable distribution of biodiversity and its benefits, the updates stated. He presented the constitution of the Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) and People Biodiversity Register (PBR) in the state, the press release stated.

In his keynote address, Satya Prakash Tripathi, principal chief conservator of Forest, described the importance of forest and wildlife to life.

“Human beings cannot survive without forest and wildlife. But, forest and wildlife can survive without human beings.” He highlighted the legal position of community reserves and biodiversity management committees, the updates stated. He appealed to the community to come forward for the constitution of community reserves and biodiversity management committees for possible funding by the ministry.

Further, Bano Haralu, managing trustee of the Nagaland Biodiversity and Conservation Trust exhorted the participants by telling them to protect forest and wildlife ‘as soldiers protect the country.’

Samriddha Ghosh, programme assistant of the project management team of WCS India spoke about the conservation efforts being exerted by the organisation. She spoke also about the status of biodiversity and conservation in the country.

Pradipty Bhardwaj, an environmental lawyer for WCS India, talked to the participants about wildlife crimes and gave an overview about the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, the press release stated.