DC Tuensang Kumar Ramnikant, IAS with officials and others during the workshop held at Jubilee Memorial Hall, CBLT Mission Compound in Tuensang on March 9. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Tuensang | March 9
One-day workshop on wildlife law enforcement and counter wildlife trafficking and biodiversity conservation organized jointly by Forest Department, Nagaland, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)-India and Nagaland State Biodiversity Board was held at Jubilee Memorial Hall, CBLT Mission Compound in Tuensang on March 9.
The trainees were from the DEF, Tuensang and Forest Department, Tuensang of different files and ranks.
Deputy Commissioner, Tuensang, Kumar Ramnikant, IAS graced the occasion as guest of honour. In his speech, the DC elaborated on the role of police and forest guard as very important in conserving the wildlife.
“We were hunters but that was long ago. People were less in number and there was more forest area, there was an ecological balance. Slowly, life expectancy increased and population is also increasing rapidly. In such a situation, the whole balance in the nature is just missing,” he said. The DC mentioned that there is less awareness about wildlife conservation and the concern departments have to sensitize them.
The DC said, “We live in a global society where wildlife is a huge part of it. There is a strata in our ecosystem where humans, plants and animals co-exist together, if that is disturbed, then there will be imbalance. That is why we go for conservation and try to maintain balance.”
He also commended on the efforts of the Forest Department, Tuensang, citing few examples of the animals and birds they rescued. “They are in the business of conserving wildlife also and the only part I was pondering about was that the training was missing and I think this is a great opportunity for them,” he stated.
The inaugural programme was chaired by Asabamo, DMU, invocation prayer was said by Makum, Forest Guard; welcome address by Samom Khelen Singh, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Tuensang Division; short speeches by Satya Prakash Tripathi, Chairman, NSBB and Dev Prakash Bankhwal, Team Leader, WCS-India.
Later, in the training session, resource persons from WCS-India and NSBB tackled on many topics. Shubhra Sotie, WCS-India gave a PowerPoint presentation on Introduction to Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, violation of sections resulting in punishment u/s 51 of WLPA, 1972, search and seizure, court procedure and preparation of legal documents.
Rishik Dutta Gupta WCS-India presented PowerPoint on Introduction to Wildlife and Trafficking and species identification. DP Bankhwal discussed on the topics such as protected areas, ways and means of preventing wildlife crime effectively with examples from field.
SP Tripathi, Chairman, NSBB took a session on community conservation of biodiversity in Nagaland.
After the questions and answers hour, the training concluded with a valedictory session led by the Nagaland Forest Department and Biodiversity Board.
