Project officials along with members of Mima village during the inauguration of the Mima village gate on February 23.
Kohima, February 23 (MExN): The inauguration of Mima Village Gate was held on February 23 at Mima Village. The gate was constructed as the Entry Point Activity under the Forest and Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya (Nagaland) Project (FBMP) under the Kohima Forest Division, co-financed by the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW.
The gate was jointly inaugurated by Sidramappa M Chalkapure, IFS, Chief Conservator of Forests (D&P) and Project Director, FBMP, and Friederike Lambrecht, Senior Project Manager, Natural Resources, Environment & Climate. The programme was attended by Nand Kishor Agrawal, Chief Technical Advisor, and Dr Sevono Seletsu, Divisional Forest Officer, Kohima. Visedelie Shunyü offered the dedicatory prayer during the inauguration ceremony.
Addressing a formal programme at the Mima Village Council Hall as the guest of honour, Sidramappa M Chalkapure commended the village for being exceptional and progressive, noting its success in implementing government schemes, farming practices and honey collection. He stated that the core mission of the project is the holistic management of forests, including the protection of various plant and animal species.
He further said that beyond conservation, the project aims to improve local livelihoods through youth training, support for traditional farming practices and enhancement of honey collection.
Emphasizing the link between conservation and sustainable living, he said that protecting forests also secures water sources and traditional agricultural systems, resulting in improved income and quality of life. He appealed for continued cooperation from the community and assured that project officials would assist in designing future activities to ensure long-term success.
Speaking as the special guest, Friederike Lambrecht expressed happiness that the village had chosen to be part of the project and its forthcoming activities. She described forest and conservation efforts as an important cause and observed that the village has significant ecotourism potential. She encouraged the community to utilise this potential alongside the project initiatives and to make active use of the new village gate as an entry point for future conservation and livelihood activities.
