Pasighat: To create and spread wider awareness about the ecology & environment (protection and conservation of biodiversity-wildlife and forests), the Pasighat Forest Division in collaboration with Berung Yameng Kebang on Thursday conducted a day-long awareness programme at Berung village here in East Siang district amidst the presence of village Gaon Burahs, PRI leaders, students and resource persons.
During the day tree saplings were also planted in and around the compound of Bering village community hall while distributing some more saplings to the Berung School.
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The villagers while participating in the awareness programme appealed to the forest department to address the elephants damaging the crops of the villagers.
Speaking on the sideline of the awareness programme as a resource person, Dr. Kento Kadu, Asst. Professor, HoD of Zoology and Dr. Talut Talom, Asst. Professor, HoD History, Jawaharlal Nehru College, Pasighat along with advocate Vijay Taram, and Spokesperson, Adi Baane Kebang emphasized the time-bound and compulsory need to conserve and protect the biodiversity of the region to maintain ecological balance and a healthy environment.
“There are many people among our communities and societies today who are involved in continuous hunting practices in the name of tradition and culture. But in the old traditional system of our ancestors, there was no use of destructive means of hunting weapons like modern-day Airguns, Point-two-two (.22) and other guns. Only bows and arrows with traditional trapping systems were used then whereas wild animals used to pose a threat to humans. But now, wild animals are hugely under threat from humans due to excessive hunting and poaching. Due to such rampant hunting activities, especially for commercial purposes, many wild animals are killed. So the need of the hour is to change our mindset and reform our traditional system to balance our environment”, exhorted the resource persons.
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The resource persons of the programme also spoke in detail about the possible and existing impact on the environment due to unabated killings of wild animals, and birds and the felling of trees.
Crop yields are affected due to the killing of birds as insects and mice which are naturally regulated by birds damage the crops due to an increase of their population in the absence of depletion of the bird population. The killing of birds, especially migratory birds stops visiting the places where they usually used to visit before. The preservation and protection of wildlife and birds will increase their numbers which in turn will attract tourism thereby promoting eco-tourism in the area and giving employment opportunities to the local youths.
On the part of the forest department, DFO, Pasighat Forest Division, Dr. Hano Moda appealed to the local community to come forward in the conservation and protection of ecology and environment for living humans.
On the appeal of the villagers regarding crop raids and man-elephant conflict, Dr. Moda said that the department can’t give full proof protection of such conflict and crop raids, because we humans are encroaching on the forests of the wild animals.
The elephants being very wise animals use their old elephant corridors that were used by them before the humans cleared the jungle, so we humans also need to be kind to them. Range Officer, Neeraj Tamuk (Pasighat RF) and others also spoke on the occasion.