Correspondent
PASIGHAT, 2 May: The officials of the forest department here in East Siang district have started a campaign to involve the local populace in conservation of forests and wildlife.
The forest officials, led by Range Forest Officer Jumgo Geyi, on Monday conducted a meeting at Sika Tode village in Sille-Oyan circle, and mobilised the villagers to take active part in conservation activities and avail the benefits given by the department.
Geyi urged the village heads to “engage a youth group in plantation activities under afforestation schemes to be implemented in the fringe areas.”
Speaking on human-elephant conflict in the fringe villages, Geyi said that “extension of human habitation and indiscriminate collection of forest resources are adversely affecting the elephant habitats, compelling the animals to come out from the jungles in search of food.”
He appealed to the people to help the department in mitigating human-wildlife conflicts “by adopting scientific measures.”
Geyi also informed the villagers about the government’s rules and regulations for payment of compensation against damages to crops and houses by wild elephants.
Pasighat DFO (T) Tashi Mize said that he has “managed some funds from the department to conduct the afforestation activities, including plantation in degraded forest portions and conservatory works.”
He said that “plantation and fencing activities might be conducted in Berung, Rani, Sika Bamin and Sika Tode portions of the Pasighat reserve forest under the division.”
